How To Date Your Seraph
by AzraelVoorhees
Summary: After the death of his parents, Issei is adopted by a special woman and also recruited into the ranks of Heaven. Follow him as he joins the supernatural and begins to change the world for the better. Issei x Gabriel, AU where Issei doesn't have the Boosted Gear. Rated T for Teen (minor themes, more fluff and all, maybe some comedy.) Also, OC allies.
1. Prologue

**Hey everybody, Azrael Voorhees here, and I'm bringing you all a new fic to get beck to work and all. So, in a nutshell, this is a story where Gabriel recruits Issei and he becomes her Joker, serving Heaven and making a change there. There will be no harem, because she isn't worth a woman... she is worth a thousand, and she deserves a bit more love. As for his abilities, he has a Sacred Gear, as well as a special Heaven-based weapon that shall soon be revealed. Also, the narrations concerning Issei will be done from his grown (canon timeline) point of view, as to avoid confusions.**

 **If there's something concerning my writing, an idea, etc, leave a comment or PM me, whichever is easier for you. Without further ado, let's get to it.**

* * *

"Ey b0ss," Talking

'Can I habe pizza pls?' thoughts.

"'Cheesy Poofs.'" Brand.

"Traps are gay" emphasis.

 _"Azrael, Tyrael, heed my call_

 _In the name of the fallen I speak for all,_

 _To look beyond the prejudice and conservative ways_

 _With Gabriel's guidance I'll seize the day!" Chants, oaths, etc..._

'Subaluwa!' Thoughts.

 **[Daisan no bakudan.] Sacred Gear talking.**

 **['Bite za dusto,'] Sacred Gear talking via mental link.**

 _ **Sector 666, DC Universe (Date/time/location)**_

 _ **"You're the star of the masquerade..." Narration.**_

* * *

 _ **"Neighborhood-friendly Hyoudou family, just a hardworking father, loving housewife and me, the child at the time. I remember Irina's father introducing us to a woman who I would eventually forget, and from one day to another, they left. Never thought I'd be more connected to them than I thought, especially with the incident on June 18, 2003. The way those Fallen decided to slay my parents like they were animals. I'd seen too much in one day, and I wasn't even in my teens...**_

 _ **\- Issei Hyoudou**_

* * *

 _ **Hyoudou Household, Kuoh Town, Japan**_

The woman did not want to believe the scene in front of her. Two dead parents, an orphan child, and a murderer on the loose. As the family friend she was of the family along with the Shidous, the unknown woman was informed of the incident due to the fact that she was the first person to inform should something happen to one of the family members. Asking a few of the people about where he would most likely be taken, she began her search. The murderer or murderers wanted the family dead, but for what reason? Aside from knowing a few members of the church, they were nothing more, just your average Japanese family. With this in mind, she set off for the police station, several questions in mind.

* * *

A couple of days had passed, and Issei was still recovering from the incident. One moment, it was an average family dinner: father had returned from work, mother had set the table with his help, no unexpected visitors on their guest list... or so they thought. All of a sudden, the doorbell had rung that day, and Mr. Hyoudou got up to answer it. The events after that were a blur, but the only thing Issei saw was how his parents were killed as he hid in the closet, doing his best to avoid being found by these unwanted beings as he wrapped himself with the cloak his aunt had given him. As soon as the killers had left, he exited the closet and got on his knees, crying as he mourned the death of his parents. Minutes later, the police arrived courtesy of a neighbor who had gone to see what was going on after the house had become eerily silent only to be interrupted by the child's crying, and the rest is history.

Back to the present, he held an object that had the shape of a dagger as the cloak was wrapped around this mysterious object. Was this the item his parents had been killed for? It was a dagger, nothing more to the child. His solitude was interrupted by several footsteps that were headed his way. Quickly hiding the item, Issei was looking at the door, awaiting the arrival of the director who was taking care of him.

"Issei, you should eat something before going to bed. Come, the others are waiting for you," she says, holding his hands and looking up at him. Without much of a reason to be awake except to eat, the child stood up and went with her to the dining room, sitting along with a few children as they were awaiting their final meal of the day.

 ** _The next morning_**

As the day began, a blonde-haired green-eyed woman in a nun outfit was waiting outside of the building, awaiting for someone to open the door for her. She was quickly received by the director, who gave her a soft smile.

"Good morning, how may I help you?" the director asked, letting her in.

"Yes, it is concerning Issei Hyoudou. I was informed of his incident, and according to several documents, I have been given full custody of him as his legal guardian," she says, presenting to her the documents that proved her statement of legal guardianship via last will and one where she had been granted said guardianship by the town of Kuoh. After the director went through the documents, she returned them to the nun, only to leave and return with Issei several minutes later, suitcase in her hands.

"Issei, meet your new guardian, Griselda Quarta..." the director said. Issei's facial features went from puzzle to a face that was processing who she was. It all clicked: this was Auntie Griselda, the woman who was with the Shidous a couple of times. How he hadn't remembered her made him think a bit, but he quickly dismissed it as he hugged her, crying as she carried him.

"They're gone, Griselda..." he says, crying into her chest, with the nun frowning.

"I know Issei, but don't worry, we'll be alright, I promise," she says, as she left the building with the suitcase in her other hand. Slightly shocked, the director saw how Griselda carried the child with one arm and didn't struggle to grab and carry the suitcase as she lowered herself enough to get it. After entering a dark alley, the two teleported, without the child being aware.

* * *

 _ **First Heaven**_

"Issei, do you want to see a magic trick?" Griselda asks her, as Issei went from sad to dizzy as the effects of teleportation sunk in.

"Y-yeah..." he says, before she kissed his forehead, making the dizziness vanish as if it were nothing. Setting him on the ground, he looked at the environment around him: a place of white and gold, with several Angels looking at them as the two arrived. Not feeling any holy elements from him, they looked in doubt, before a male Angel got close.

"Griselda, why did you bring a human to Heaven?" he asked.

"That is a matter I would like to discuss with my Queen. Would you know where I could find her?" she asks, holding Issei's hand now that he was on the ground standing up.

"She's in Eden, I'll keep an eye on him," a second male said, getting close to them as well. Also a green-eyed blonde person, this man had a smile on him before Griselda glared at him. Knowing the meaning of said glare, he now had a serious face, only to be quickly replaced by a soft smile as he went over to a sofa and patted a spot beside him, inviting the boy to join him. Trusting the smile Griselda was giving him, he proceeded to sit next to this man.

"Issei, I'll be back, Dulio here will take care of you while I'm absent, okay?" she asks, kissing his forehead.

"Yes Auntie Griselda," Issei answered, smiling softly before she took his suitcase.

"I will take this to my room on my way with my superior, okay?" she asked. All she got was a smile from him before he vanished. A few seconds passed before Issei asked:

"Are we in Heaven?" The man who was now identified as Dulio began to laugh, along with a few Angels.

 _ **Garden of Eden, Fourth Heaven**_

A beautiful blonde woman was seated on the grass, enjoying the silence the garden had to offer. Due to the amount of work she had as a Seraph, the times where she could enjoy these kind of moments was rare, and she was enjoying every second of it. However, as all good things, it came to an end when she heard a teleportation sound.

"Griselda, what brings you here?" the woman asked, she asked, not bothering to turn around.

"Lady Gabriel, I have come to make a request, as well as inform you of something," Griselda answered, only for the woman to look at her once the former exorcist was in her sight.

"And that would be?" Gabriel asked, a soft smile on her face.

"Due to an unexpected chain of events, I have become the legal guardian of a human child, and I wish for him to reside here," she says.

"As much as I would like for this child to stay here, I am afraid he is not allowed to stay here," the Seraph answers, frowning slightly.

"Aside from being his guardian, I have two other reasons for him to stay: the first is due to the unknown Sacred Gear residing within him. I know he has one, but the question is which."

"Valuable as it may turn out to be, I still doubt that the other Seraphs would allow him to reside here," Gabriel said, standing up.

"There is still one more reason. I left his suitcase in my room and unpacked his belongings. I found an item wrapped around my former cloak, and what the item was shocked me when I touched it..."

"What is the item?" the King asked.

"I think it's better if I show you," the Queen answered, pulling out the dagger Issei was holding back at the orphanage. This left a shocked expression on her King, only for the Seraph to quickly grab it. A red flame quickly erupted from the hilt, quickly making a fiery sword.

"The Flaming Sword..." she said, still processing what happened.

"The legendary sword given to Lucifer to stand guard at the entrance of the Garden of Eden after Adam and Eve sinned?" Griselda asked.

"The one and only. How did he acquire the sword?" Gabriel asked, slowly returning the sword to its dagger form.

"I honestly do not know, but I do know this: his parents were killed, they did not bother hunting down the child when they did not sense him. I did a quick memory scan, milady. Judging by his memories, the assassins were most likely after something. If they were your average killers, then the neighbors would have most likely arrived earlier to try and stop the commotion, meaning that they were after someone or something. In this case, the sword and maybe even the child."

"Now that I know this, I will try and convince my fellow Seraphs to allow the child to reside in Heaven with you. This may take quite a bit, so I suggest that you follow me over to Sixth Heaven," Gabriel says, as the two left the garden.

* * *

 _ **Several hours later...**_

Issei was currently asleep, resting his head on Dulio's lap as Michael, Uriel, Gabriel and Raphael entered alongside Griselda. The other Angels took a knee, only to rise when Michael, leader of the Angels told them to do so. The four looked at him curiously.

"This is the child who had the sword?" another man asked, who went by Uriel.

"Indeed, we suspect that the assassins were Fallen," Griselda said, ruffling his hair.

"Leaving him in the orphanage once more would be disastrous: several of our followers would be annoyed and lose faith if we kept the sword but sent him back, aware of the fact that they were willing to kill him to get to the sword. If word got out that the child was alone, they would kill him as to avoid any loose ends," Raphael said, taking Gabriel's and Griselda's side.

"I will try and awaken his Sacred Gear, for the sake of another perspective," Michael said.

 **[I deem that unnecessary, Michael,]** a voice said, one which shocked several of the Angels.

* * *

 _ **Kuoh Orphanage, Kuoh Town**_

A woman in a police outfit arrived at the orphanage. Short-sleeved shirt, stab vest, a skirt that reached just above her knees and black high heels to finish off the look, she knocked on the door, awaiting an answer. A few seconds later, the director opened the door.

"Good evening ma'am. Are you in custody of Issei Hyoudou?" the police asked.

"Not anymore, he was adopted a few days ago. What for?" the director asked in return.

"I just wanted to ask him some questions concerning the death of his parents a few days ago. Also, could you please give me the description of the person or people who adopted him?"

"Yes. Blonde hair, green eyes, dressed in a nun outfit, called herself Griselda... should I be worried about her?"

"Not at all, do have a nice day," the officer said before leaving. As she walked down the street, she began to dial her phone, the ringing being heard before someone answered.

"How did it go?" the voice answered.

"It went slightly better than expected," the officer answered.

"The boy?"

"Currently in the hands of Griselda Quarta, given the description and name."

"Hmm, better with her than dead. Not that I think she is terrible, but with the rumors of rogue elements among our ranks, his death worried me due to our suspicions."

"What is the next step?"

"Ask around for anything we can know about him, Kalawarner. I must go, Vali's becoming impatient," the voice said before hanging up. Looking at the time, the now identified Kalawarner headed for the school Issei used to attend, hoping to get a lead.

* * *

 **And there we have it! Roughly four hours of hard work and we got this... Well, no meme for today, and to those that are not in the Discord will find out what Issei's Sacred Gear is next chapter. As for the Flaming Sword, I decided to give it to Issei so he wouldn't only have the gear (along with watching Lucifer, great show indeed.). If you want sneak peeks on plans and whatnot, chill and shitpost, enjoy some NSFW content, come on down to our Discord:**

 **discord. gg/xEApPAS**

 **Shitposting, story contribution, discussions, hentai/r34 (because they can and will), several MCs like Sesshomaru, Majik, Dakkaboy, Rihavein and many others, so come on down!**


	2. Meet the Joker

**And... the story did surprisingly well for its first day. AV here, and it's nice to have you back. So, today we will slowly get to Issei's Sacred Gear, maybe a few abilities and him interacting with Dulio and all. And now, answers:**

 **Sennybee98, Atomicaaa: Thank you, we need some fluff as a refresher from the edgy, "stick it in as many girls possible", betrayed... I'm sure you get the picture. Besides, doesn't our Seraph deserve some love?**

 **i may love or hate you: Thank you.**

 **darth56: Thanks, I guess. Not used to this, but anyways...**

 **LordArtos: Yes, that show is excellent. I see your point in the slight development, because I've seen in some stories "Issei's parents die, resurrection, 8-year timeskip, back to canon." Not that it annoys me, but a bit of time in power development wouldn't be so bad. I'll look into his abilities, might not make it all brute strength, because you can't always punch your way out of trouble.**

 **Without further ado, let's begin.**

* * *

"Ey b0ss," Talking

'Can I habe pizza pls?' thoughts.

"'Cheesy Poofs.'" Brand.

"Traps are gay" emphasis.

 _"Azrael, Tyrael, heed my call_

 _In the name of the fallen I speak for all,_

 _To look beyond the prejudice and conservative ways_

 _With Gabriel's guidance I'll seize the day!" Chants, oaths, etc..._

'Subaluwa!' Thoughts.

 **[Daisan no bakudan.] Sacred Gear talking.**

 **['Bite za dusto,'] Sacred Gear talking via mental link.**

 _ **Sector 666, DC Universe (Date/time/location)**_

 _ **"You're the star of the masquerade..." Narration.**_

* * *

 _ **First Heaven, continuing from the ending of the Prologue**_

"Albion..." Michael said, as Issei's eyes opened, said eyes becoming an eerie blue.

 **[Yes, it is I. My, Heaven hasn't changed much...]** the White Dragon said.

"And neither have you. I assume you will try and fight your rival in this useless conflict?" Raphael asked, crossing his arms.

 **[Tempting, but I can't do so right now. Anyways, my host will eventually face the Red One, for it is our destiny!]** Albion said.

"Ugh, get some new material..." Dulio said, looking at the child.

 **[Who are you to judge me?]** Albion asked.

"Someone who didn't get themselves killed due to a rivalry," he answers, earning a silence from the dragon.

 **[I don't expect you to understand... Point is, Issei will be hunted down for his Sacred Gear and/or the sword Lucifer once wielded. I offer a deal of a lifetime. Well, at least his lifetime. In exchange of our servitude, Issei shall reside in Heaven and be trained by you. I know you will not refuse: A boy like him could be recruited easily, either by invitation or by force.]**

 **[Devils would kill to earn the power their former leader once had, and the Fallen has a Gear-loving leader who already has the Red Dragon Emperor under his tutelage. How does the saying go? Ah yes, what is worse than a dragon? Two united and against you, especially if it's the two that required the strength of the three factions to put an end to them.]**

Pondering what his Seraphs discussed and the other disadvantages of refusing Albion added, Michael and the others brought out their respective decks.

"I, Michael, Leader of Heaven, shall accept Issei within our ranks. Now, what card would suit you?" he asked, going through the deck, only for Gabriel to get close to him, card in hand before she slowly put it on the child's chest. After quickly absorbing it, she smiled, carrying him.

"My fellow Seraphs and Angels, I welcome you all Heaven's second Joker," Gabriel said, smiling softly as the others looked at him. "If not much is needed, I will take my Joker to his new room, next to mine so he can be close," she says, smiling softly as she left with him.

"Are you sure it was wise to let him join us?" Uriel asked.

"With those arguments, how could I refuse? That aside, I had a gut feeling, as people would say," Michael answered.

"And what was this gut feeling?"

"That he will change Heaven for the better..."

"Let's hope so, my brother. Let's hope so..."

* * *

 _ **Grigori Headquarters, Underworld**_

Kalawarner, still in her police attire, entered Azazel's office. The Cadre stopped whatever work he was doing to attend his priority: the child.

"How did your investigation go?" Azazel asked, smiling.

"Not so well master, Issei is in Gabriel's hands according to an old friend," Kalawarner answered.

"Would this old friend be Raphael?" he asked, smirking.

"*Sigh* Yes..."

"He was always a softie, opting for Gabriel's methods. He did understand why we left."

"True. Aside from having the Divine Dividing..." she said, with this capturing his interest as if he won the lottery.

"...he has the Flaming Sword," she answered after seeing him return from his high. Her second part however, brought mixed emotions upon her superior: fear, curiosity, among others.

"That explains everything. Being the host of Albion would most likely be a reason to kill the child, but going after him for the sword? It all makes sense. A weapon deadly to Devils, and maybe even the Angels and us Fallen."

"Azazel, what do we do now?" she asked, worried due to the fact that he still was in a slight shock.

"We do nothing for now. Something too rash may trigger one of the enemy factions, and another war is the last thing we need right now. That, and the rogue Fallen among us discovering what we know would only make matters worse. Tell Baraqiel and Shemhazai to swing by, we need to have a thorough talk concerning the recent chain of events," he said, before the female Fallen nodded and left. Little did he know what this emergency reunion would cause, leaving a splintered family in the wake.

* * *

 _ **Gabriel's Room, Hearts Building, First Heaven**_

As she watched Issei sleep, Gabriel smiled softly. Aside from having a Joker, she had a child of sorts. While adopted by Griselda, she was his mentor... and she was looking forward to it, and a smile was adorning her face. However, her smile quickly faded after she saw him fidgeting in his sleep, only to wake up several seconds later.

"Issei, what happened?" she asked, before the child hugged her quickly.

"I saw them, I saw how my parents died again!" he says, crying into her shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay. Ise, may I call you that?" she asked.

"Y-yes..." he says, now resting on the edge of the bed.

"Ok Ise, how about you sleep with me in my room?" she asks, before he nodded. Carrying him in her arms, the two left the room, only to enter hers. Tucking him into bed, Gabriel quickly stripped herself, only to get into her nightgown, a silver one made of the finest silk one could ever imagine, showing that her beauty was unrivaled in Heaven regardless of her choice of attire.

Getting into bed with him, she wrapped an arm around him, pressing his back against her chest before she fell asleep.

* * *

 _ **Issei's Dreamscape**_

Our young protagonist was in Heaven, only for that to quickly vanish as he ended up in a hellish throne room with four thrones, each with their minor differences.

"Hello, is somebody here?" he asked, looking around and grabbing the dagger from his coat pocket.

"There's no point in pointing that sword at me child," a male voice said. The child turned around, only to see a handsome man: designer beard, pitch black hair and matching eyes, and dressed in a dark suit to finish off the look, he sat on the throne on the middle left.

"Why do you say that?" Issei asked, putting the dagger in one of his coat pockets and leaving the handle out, only for the man to stretch out his arm, spawning the dagger as if it were nothing.

"Because I am the first to use it," the man answers, smirking as he made the fire spawn on the dagger, making the Flaming Sword enter its well-known form before two bat wings appeared behind his back.

"Who are you?"

"Me? I am Lucifer Morningstar, and we need to have a talk concerning my sister..." he answered, a devilish smirk on his face.

* * *

 **And that's it for today! I'd continue with the talk, but I have dinner with my parents (mom's making steak with spuds, and I'm not one to refuse her meals). That aside, it's a nice part to end, but I'll make the chapter a bit longer to compensate for this one.**


	3. Of A Brother And Parents

**He-llo everybody my name is Marki- ok no, bad intro. AV here, and I see you have taken quite a liking for my fic. We'll spend a few chapters with Issei's time in Heaven so he can bond with his busty Seraph (I know you all want that), and I'll soon give an estimate on when the canon timeline begins. Let's proceed to comment/message answers:**

 **\- Sennybee98: You'll get your answer this chapter.**

 **\- heiwatosenso, darth56: Why thank you.**

 **So, I would've update on Sunday or yesterday were it not for the E3 (Microsoft and Bethesda were A-listers, with Nintendo being on par or a runner-up. But hey, Ridley SMASH!) Without further ado, let's begin:**

* * *

 _ **Issei's Dreamscape**_

"The Lucifer?" Issei asked, stepping back as the man still had his devilish smirk.

"Indeed. Now, let us get to the reason why I appeared in your dreamscape of all places," the man said, making the sword go into its dagger form as he twirled it with relative ease. "You see, when I was alive, I loved my brothers and sisters greatly, spending a considerable amount of time with them when I was not guarding Heaven. But, for some reason, my father thought it was a great idea to send me to Hell in order to make sure someone was running it. And to make matters worse, the Fallen begin to exist. Not that I mind, I have a few friends there..." Lucifer said, before continuing.

"Anyways, the Great War happens and all Hell breaks loose, figurative sense."

"Wait, what's the Great War?" Issei asked.

"Ugh, to believe I have to explain this to you. Might as well copy-paste the explanation that Gremory girl gave in one of the many fanfictions these sick degenerates have written where you are resurrected by her..." Lucifer said, looking up.

"Wait, what?"

"In a nutshell, Heaven which has the Angels, Grigori which has Fallen Angels and Underworld which has the Devils got in a big war. God dies, I die along with the three Maou, and several other deaths..." he says, going on, trying to make the kid forget what he just heard.

"What are the Fallen?" Issei asked, sitting on the ground.

"Angels who fell due to sin. Those crows believe they are all that just because they can still manipulate Light magic. If I were alive, I would show the newer generations the blatant lie they have made themselves believe. "

"If you're dead, why are you here talking to me?"

"Well, I had to cash in a favor when I caught wind of a boy who was recruited by my sister, only for said kid to develop a small crush on her. While it may be small, a crush is a crush, and I must interfere as the good older brother I am," he said, earning a blush from Issei upon mentioning the word 'crush'.

"Now, the only thing I ask of you is to take care of my sister and protect her as she would protect you. As for the favor, there is someone I must introduce you to..." Lucifer says, waving a hand at a woman who walked in. Dressed in a dress of purple and black, slim enough to show off her figure despite hardly showing any skin, her skin a ghostly white, almost skeletal, and black features around her eyes and mouth.

"Issei, say hello to Lady Death. Lady Death, Issei. Oh, and there is no need to worry, her touch is lethal only if she wants for it to be lethal," he says, as the woman took a knee and hugged the boy as he stood up and wrapped his arms around her.

"Now Issei, I need you to do the following for me," she said, smiling softly.

"Yes?"

"You must not tell anyone of my existence, and in exchange, I will let two people visit you, and I am sure you know who, understood?" she asked, ruffling his hair gently.

"Yes, Lady Death," he said, looking into her eyes.

"You will not mention anything involving this encounter unless Lucifer wishes to send a message, and if he does, you will only give that message to the desired person," she added, kissing his forehead.

"Okay," he said, only for a black portal to appear behind her, two people walking out of it. Those people were the ones he easily recognized.

"Mom, dad!" the child said, running at them, arms open as the two hugged him.

"Issei, we missed you. But..." his father said, looking at him.

"We need to tell you something, and you have to pay attention," his mother said, slight sorrow in her voice as she got up and walked away from him, giving her son and husband some distance.

"Son, I want you to grow up and find a nice woman to spend your life with, okay?" he asks, handing Issei a gold coin that was attached to a string, putting it around his neck.

"Now, your mother wants to talk to you before we leave," Mr. Hyoudou said, getting up and standing beside the two supernatural beings.

"Issei, remember what I said about second chances?" Mrs. Hyoudou asked.

"Yes mom," he answered, looking at her.

"I was informed by Lucifer about the trouble you might face in the future. Remember that everyone deserves a second chance. There might be moments where killing may seem like the best solution, but it is never the best one. There is always a better way, trust me," she said, tears running down her eyes, causing him to cry as she wrapped her arms around him.

"I say this, so you can be better. Go out there and make the world a better place, my son. I know you can do it," she added, handing him a photo of the three of them. "We must go Issei, I don't think we'll be able to see you again. Take care, stay safe and make us proud," she ended, before letting go of her son as she goes over to her husband. He tried to run to his parents, only for Lucifer to stop him. His smile was gone, and on his face was sorrow. Lady Death also frowned, seeing how the child didn't really have anyone that could be considered family except for Griselda. Watching the two cross the portal and said portal closing behind the deceased couple, the current White Dragon Emperor slowly stopped crying a few minutes later, his eyes now puffy.

Ruffling his hair, the former ruler of the Underworld looked down at Issei. "Issei, before I leave as well, I ask of you to do something for me: grow up, be the one Gabriel needs, and protect her, succeed where I couldn't," he said, giving the child a sad smile.

"Yes Lucifer," Issei said, as Death opened a second portal for them, the Bringer of Light standing alongside the pale woman.

"Oh, and give this to her, tell her it's a gift from me and that she should keep it somewhere safe. I mean, we all have our trademark item and all, like she has those weird heart-shaped bangs, don't know how she does that," he says, flipping a coin with such skill that the child caught it. He looked at the coin, which had Jesus crucified on one side in a triangle while the other side had a goat's head in a pentagram.

"Ok Lucifer!" he says, smiling softly before the couple vanished into a portal. A while later, things became blurry, and everything went black.

* * *

 _ **Gabriel's Room, Hearts Building, First Heaven**_

The infant was woken up by his King, who had a worried look on her face.

"Issei, are you alright?" she asked, seeing his face with dried tears and his hand holding something she could not see.

"Y-yeah... somebody wanted to give you something," she said, putting the item in her hand. She looked at the item and her eyes widened.

"Lucy's Pentecostal Coin..." she said, holding it tightly.

"So that's what it is. He said something about keeping it safe," he said, which made the Seraph put it on the bedside table before wrapping her arms around him.

"Come on Issei, we need to go to bed, Griselda's taking you to the Vatican tomorrow to meet someone before we begin your training," Gabriel said, ruffling his hair.

"Yes my King," he said, looking into her eyes, earning a deadpan expression from her.

"Did Lucifer tell you to tell me that?" she asked.

"No?" he asked, only to be tickled by her, making him laugh.

"Now Issei, you will address us as if we were friends. No formalities are needed here, okay?" she asked, the bright smile that could easily brighten anyone's day present.

"Ok," he said, catching his breath after she stopped, now smiling with her.

"Good, now let's go back to sleep," she said, gently pressing his back and bed against her chest as the two slowly fell asleep, finding comfort in each other's warmth.

* * *

 _ **Fifth Heaven**_

Michael was doubtful of the folder's contents. While the idea was good, he just wasn't feeling right about it.

"I know that look," Raphael said, looking at his brother.

"The thing is this program. The method and other details are convincing, but something is odd," the leader of Heaven answered.

"And that would be?" The Seraph's answer was none other than having the folder placed in his hands, now being able to check the contents. After checking them for several minutes, he gave his brother an answer:

"I, as a Seraph and your brother, suggest that you do what you think is right, and if you think this will help us greatly, then let them continue. Now finish up here and rest, we should call it a day," Raphael answered, before leaving. Grabbing a seal and stamping it on the folder's cover, he put it in his archive in the 'H' section, deciding to investigate tomorrow and personally deliver it to an old friend of his.

* * *

 **And there we have it, new chapter. I would have put a continuation, but I decided to leave it after this second A/N. As usual, comments concerning the story, ideas, criticism, go ahead and comment or PM, and enjoy the final segment of the story.**

* * *

 ** _Unknown Location_**

 ** _Several years later..._**

A blonde child stood among several bodies, holding on to his life. While he was not bleeding out or under the effects of poisoning, he risked being killed. As he tried to get up, a child who was covered by several bodies that was on the other side of the room put his index finger against his mouth.

"Shhhh..." the second child said, motioning the first child to remain quiet, which he did. "Do what I say, and we can avenge this massacre," he added, motioning the boy to stay in place. Several minutes passed as several sounds were heard, meaning that most (if not, all) of the murderers had left. A considerable amount of time passed before the second child pushed the bodies off of him, watching how the first had gotten up with ease.

"Isaiah, I'm glad you survived," the second child said, wrapping his arms around the first.

"Yeah, though they didn't," Isaiah said, pointing at their fallen brothers and sisters.

"Yes, the time of revenge will come later. Now, let's give them a proper burial," the unknown child said, slowly dragging out the bodies one by one. It had been hours before the bodies were all buried, around 20 being the ones that were left behind.

"To come and think about it, what's your name?" Isaiah asked, looking at the other child, only to earn a laugh.

"Well, my name... is Viktor."


	4. Third Side and the Vatican

**Hello everybody, Azrael Voorhees here, and I'm bringing you all a 3k chapter. Got this done in a few hours in an auto shop, dad's office to be precise since he was out of town and all (kids didn't help get the chapter done. Don't hate them, but they were too obnoxious). For the sake of it, I might feature a beach episode (relevant to the story, unlike your average harem stories) before we enter the canon storyline (which of course, will have several alterations. And now, reviews.**

 **\- Rihavein-Zero: Didn't really expect you here of all places, but eh, what're you gonna do?**

 **\- antifanboy: Thank you.**

 **\- majik7: *Fanboy screams of joy* Likewise, buddy.**

 **\- shanandre765: Yes, that I did. As I mentioned above, this one is 3k (most likely excluding A/N) to test the waters. I surprisingly got this done in around 2-3 hours.**

 **\- darth56: Here's hoping I don't disappoint.**

 **If I get something wrong concerning the Vatican, I'm sorry. Rizevim is most likely OOC (VERY good reasons) in this chapter. Without further ado, let's begin.**

* * *

" _ **There are several concerning things involving the faction I serve: Of Holy Wars, Swords and a Maiden, things that make no sense with what Gabriel says. Killing in the name is also pointless, leaving us with a commandment broken on a daily basis by the church's followers. Taking into account the Holy Maiden incident and recent actions of the Church, the deaths of Jesus and Moses were in vain, for the lambs have been led astray. No more. I will strive to ensure the safety and improvement of the Angels and Church, end the wars, and leave the dreadful past behind before helping Asia, even if my wings must become black to follow Jesus's teachings…"**_

 _ **\- Issei Hyoudou**_

* * *

 _ **The Vatican**_

 _ **The day after Issei's dream, 7 years before the canon timeline…**_

"Griselda, what are we going to do today?" Issei asked, wrapping his arms around his aunt as the two made their way to the Vatican.

"Well Issei, we are going to visit the Vatican as I promised. But, you will also meet someone special, my pupil so to say," Griselda answered, kissing his forehead as they kept on walking down the busy streets of one of the most well-known places the world had to offer. It had been minutes before the two arrived at their destination, reaching a majestic building. Aside from the insane amount of tourists and religious followers, the building was well known due to its structure, beautiful paintings on the ceilings and also home to the Pope.

"Good morning Sister Griselda," a priest said. Not much was relevant concerning his appearance, aside from the fact that he looked like he was in his fifties.

"Good morning, Father Petrenko," she replied, smiling softly, something that had been rarely seen on her.

"What brings you here today? By the looks of it you have another motive," the elderly priest said, returning a smile.

"Well, it is a visit along with a personal delivery," she said, giving him a knowing look. After understanding the importance of the delivery, he stood aside, letting her enter a section of the Vatican. After walking down a long hallway, the two reached what seemed like a minor copy of First Heaven: several buildings that were used for residence, others for training, and a few for the basic necessities such as eating and bathing. Upon entering, the exorcists took a knee, only for them to rise quickly once Griselda gave them the order.

"Are you going to do this every time I come?" she asked, clearly annoyed.

"YES SISTER GRISELDA!" they shouted, laughing before the former nun began to laugh as well. During her days as an exorcist, she had climbed up the ranks rather quickly, being on par with the most experienced ones. This led to her being recruited by the Angels, an offer she instantly accepted. However, despite the amount of times she told her former colleagues to stop taking a knee when she arrived, they didn't agree. Whether it was out of habit or to get on her nerves, Griselda was hoping it wasn't the latter.

"Could somebody escort me to Father Rowe? I am afraid I do not know of his current whereabouts."

"I'll do it!" an energetic voice said, running up to her. A girl of around Issei's age ran up to him. Average complex and blue hair with a green streak, this girl was hopping in place, looking at Griselda.

"Oh, you must be Xenovia… My, I have heard many things about you," Griselda said, putting Issei down.

"Yes, I am Xenovia Quarta… your new pupil," she said, slightly awkward. It had been a surprise she had been registered with Griselda's last name by the Church, especially when they hadn't even seen each other. That quickly passed as Griselda stood up, holding Issei's hand.

"There will be plenty of time later, I must deliver something before taking Issei back," she says, looking at Xenovia.

"But Sister Griselda, why can't it be now?" Xenovia asked, whining.

"Because this is very important," she said, emphasis on the importance, making Xenovia behave. The former exorcist hadn't been given the title of "Heavenly Mother" for no good reason. With those who were under her command she behaved like a mother, making sure they were loved and well-behaved. But, as it happens with all mothers, there were few who decided to test her patience and tolerance. So when it came to people they feared from the three factions, many shivered upon hearing the name 'Griselda Quarta'.

"Aww…" the child said, pouting before she guided the Angels to the location of Father Rowe, current leader of their branch. The man was far older than Father Petrenko, clearly 10 or 20 years older. White hair and a cane with holy markings in his hands, the elderly man sat in his chair, awaiting their arrival.

"Sisters Quarta, it is nice to have you here, and I see you have a guest," Father Rowe said. "Xenovia, you may leave, but before that, do you wish to let Xenovia keep our guest company?" he asked, looking at the Queen of Hearts.

"Not at all, I also came to let you meet him," she replied, signaling her pupil to leave. Once she left, the Father spoke up.

"Who is the child?"

"Issei Hyoudou, hardly any antecedents involving the Church, but with enough power to be the Second Joker," she said, as Issei sat in her lap. Now having a good look at him, the Father continued.

"Issei Hyoudou, name of Japanese origins… When he comes of age, we will have to take him to the Youkai or Shinto faction. With their approval, there would not be much the local Fallen or Devils could do were one of those situations came up, for the word of the Japanese mythologies trumps those of the other two factions in the situation where he must head home."

"Wise as ever," Griselda complimented, earning a smile from him.

"I have lead this sector quite nicely for the past 30 years, little Griselda," he said, chuckling as he remembered the time he saw her as a child, growing up quickly and leaving the Vatican to join her heavenly comrades. "Now, what makes him special?" he asked, now looking at Issei.

"Issei dear, would you mind standing up and showing him your wings?" she asked, earning a nod from the child. Now standing up, the child extended his wings. Instead of seeing Angel wings, the Rowe saw two white and blue wings, and it clicked.

"You recruited this generation's White Dragon Emperor? Outstanding…" he said, genuine surprise in his voice.

"My King did, and most of Heaven has taken a liking to him. They have begun to say that he will do great things in the future, given the proper training and education," she said, signaling Issei to de-spawn the wings. "There is also something else Heaven has yet to decide on who to inform, for this item is currently under investigation," she said, smiling as she got up.

"On your way already?" he asked, smiling and getting up with the help of his cane.

"Yes, Father Rowe," she answered, holding Issei's hand.

"How about a final walk around, for old time's sake?" he asked, making his way towards them.

"How could I refuse?" This said, the three left, walking around the Vatican and its streets. Those who knew enough of them didn't see a man in his third age walking with an adult and a child. What they saw was a man and his daughter, said people now a grandfather and mother respectively. Of all the people who could have been assigned to take care of Griselda, it was he who decided to ensure her growth, and he was proud of the results. However, something had caught Griselda's attention.

"Griselda, I plan on retiring in a few years. I am well-aware of the fact that I have lead the Vatican branch quite well, but I feel as if the time to pass on the responsibility is coming soon. I do not wish to do it now, for the child is 10 years old given the basic information. That is why I want you to lead it when I retire. I am quite sure you will manage to find a way to visit your nephew, at least once a week," he says, smiling sadly as he struggled to walk, something the former exorcist helped him with.

"Maybe the time to use a wheelchair is coming, my daughter," he says, a tear running down his face as Griselda stopped holding Issei's hand, only to give her former mentor and father a hug, which earned several tears from her as well. He had watched her grow up and she knew it, but what she hated at the time was watching how he was slowly making his way to his deathbed. However, she would cherish every moment she could spend with him before he died, and honor his memory by running the Vatican.

"We should return, we spent a considerable amount of time walking, and it is evident he is tired," Father Rowe said, looking at Issei who was yawning a bit and rubbing his eyes.

"Yes, father," she said, before leaving him at the Vatican and taking her nephew to Heaven once more.

* * *

 _ **Lucifer Residence, Lucifaad, Underworld**_

 _ **A few days later**_

A man who looked like he was in his third age saw the pictures, thinking on how a child of all people had acquired the blade that was rightfully his father's. This enraged him to no end, blaming the Angels for stealing it, but then again, it had been taken from his father once he no longer needed to guard Eden. However, what shocked him next was the footage concerning the crime scene: As prideful as he may be, he still had his ethics, and said ethics involved not harming civilians unless the situation was required.

"Master, is everything alright?" a silver-haired man asked. This blue-eyed man was dressed in a suit, looking at him as he set the whisky and two glasses on the desk.

"Serve us a glass each Euclid, this may take a while," the old man said, as the servant complied. Drinking from his glass, the elder continued.

"The Flaming Sword has been found," he said, making his servant choke. "You're supposed to enjoy the beverage, not choke on it," he added, in a scolding tone.

"I apologize greatly, not anyone can remain stoic upon hearing someone mention relevant news concerning the sword that cut through dimensions," Euclid said, looking at him.

"Fair enough, and also stop addressing me as 'Master', it's gotten pretty old," the elder said, holding his glass out, which the servant refilled.

"Yes Rizevim. Also, what will we do concerning your granddaughter?" he asked, looking at the man before his face had become one of slight sorrow. He had usually seen joy and rage on Rizevim's face, but a hint of sorrow was uncommon.

"Let her be, I'm quite sure she's in better hands," he says, sighing. "Still, the Flaming Sword returning is more than enough to re-think what happens next. A part of me says to continue with the preparations for the rebellion, no matter how much time it may take for us to begin said rebellion. The other half seeks answers concerning the blade, what my father may want. Swords like the Excaliburs are usually handed out like text books, but other blades and items such as the Sacred Gears, and weapons of Ascalon's caliber or higher usually choose their wielders," Rizevim said, finishing his drink.

"Have you tried telling the other descendants?" he asked.

"You know how they can be, thinking with their hurt pride instead of their brains…" Rizevim said.

"What about her?" Euclid asked.

"Hmm… she could be worth a shot. Could you please bring her?" he asked, which earned a small smiled from Euclid.

"It would be my pleasure," the servant said, before writing a quick letter and sending it via magic circle. Several minutes passed before a beautiful woman appeared. Voluptuous body, black hair and matching lipstick along with a dress that hugged her figure. There was a cut that showed some cleavage, said cut being held together by several strips that made an x-pattern.

"Rizevim, why did you call me?" she asked, clearly annoyed.

"Business. Euclid, please bring her favorite drink so she can be in a good mood," Rizevim answered, laughing as the member of the Lucifuge family quickly left.

"I hate that child," she said.

"Yet he loves you…" he says, teasing.

"Ugh… now why did you ask for me to come?" she asked.

"There is a certain child whose parents were killed for a sword…" the Lucifer descendant said.

"What, another one had their parents killed for another Excalibur?" she said.

"No no no, not at all. This time, it's a bigger fish," he answered, a wide grin adorning his face, only for it to become a small smile once Euclid returned, giving her an odd beverage before standing beside Rizevim. Served in a wine glass, this beverage was blood red, with several black swirls moving in it.

"I still do not understand how you can drink that without any repercussions, the kids have yet to finish an entire glass."

"That's what those petulant descendants get," the unknown woman said, drinking from her glass. "Now what was this sword you were talking about?"

"Well, you are aware of the swords Heaven has created, right?" he asked, shaking his glass a bit showing that he wanted more.

"Yes. The dime a dozen swords aren't of my interest, and Ascalon is one that is tempting. Question is, which sword was the one that required my presence?" she asked.

"As I told Euclid before, it is the Flaming Sword, the one your brother used," he answered, making the unknown woman set her glass on the desk.

"Let me get this straight: Lucy's sword is in the hands of a child?!" she asked, rage evident, but not at an alarming rate.

"Yes, but it is actually in Heaven! His aunt was Griselda Quarta and she adopted him after his parents were murdered by Fallen Angels! Please do not be mad, I beg you!" the descendant of Lucifer said getting on his knees, only to earn a small smirk from her.

"Aww, is little Livan scared of his aunt?" she asked, a malefic smirk on her face as she flared her power enough to scare him, but not alarm any other supernatural beings that were nearby.

"Y-yes Aunt Lilith…" he said, looking down.

"Now my nephew, you will do as I say. I want all the information you can gather of the child at my home tomorrow, as well as any updates you may have in the future being delivered right after said updates have been confirmed. Also, I do not want any Devils on your side to go after him, understood?" she asked, patting his head.

"Y-yes Aunt Lilith…" he said.

"Good. I shall take my leave, maybe mess with that cute servant of yours…" she added, grabbing a blushing Euclid by his tie before dragging him out of the room.

'Oh Lucy, you and I will be together again…' Lilith thought, a soft smile on his face.

* * *

 _ **Hearts Building, First Heaven, Heaven**_

 _ **2 years later…**_

Time had passed in the world, an array of changes in Heaven as well. Griselda had left Heaven a few months ago, maintaining her role as the Queen of Hearts but also acquiring the role of Leader of the Vatican after her adoptive father died in his sleep. Dulio and Issei had become the best of friends, and he had grown a few Dragon Fruit trees. Yes, the trees had grown nicely in the Garden of Eden, a new sector for dragons added, but what of our protagonist? Now an Angel in his early teens, he had a growth spurt and had yet to reach his maximum height. Going from cute to handsome, he had caught the eye of plenty a girl his age, not only for his looks, but also for his kind personality. But as it sometimes happens, his childhood crush became a sense of admiration and slight love for his Seraph. With a box of Dragon Fruit and a sheathed Flaming Sword in his pocket dimension, he made his way toward the forest little to no Angels had a reason of going to.

 _ **Familiar Forest, Underworld**_

"Hello, my name is Zatooji! How may I help-" the guide asked, only to stop upon realizing the teen in front of him was an Angel.

"Well, I'm looking for Tiamat, and concerning the faction I belong to? This is a business issue, dragon to dragon," he said, spawning his Sacred Gear.

"A-ah, I see. Are you sure you want to visit her?" the man asked.

"Yes, I wish to talk to her," Issei answered.

"Ah… well, just follow this map, and you will find her in half an hour or so…" Zatooji said. "Take into account I will not be held responsible for your death should it happen…"

"It's okay, I'm not much of a 'shoot before ask' type of person," he said, smiling brightly before leaving.

 _ **30 Minutes Later…**_

In all these years, Tiamat, the Chaos Karma Dragon was not prepared for whatever happened. Blue scales, matching eyes and an intimidating presence, she was greatly feared by dragons and familiars. The sole female Dragon King had slaughtered numerous hosts of both Ddraig and Albion, but she hadn't expected this approach from one of their hosts:

"Tiamat, I've come to bargain."

* * *

 **1.0 Post-A/N Skit**

 **This is NOT a meme... it actually explains how Issei acquired the Dragon Fruit...**

 **1.1 A/N and Lilith inspiration**

 **And there you have it! So I introduced my first OC of sorts who is Lilith. Being honest, I got the idea for her appearance from Henrietta in the 'South Park: The Fractured but Whole' DLC called "From Dusk to Casa Bonita", a DLC where you help Kenny/Mysterion save his sister Karen from the lame Vamp kids. As for Henrietta, she joins in with the desire to beat up the Vamp kids once they confused a Goth Kid for a Vamp.**

 **1.2 Lilith Basics and Alignment**

 **Now, I'm aware Lilith is attractive, just based her off Henrietta because we need a goth-like character and also one with a dark but not edgy palette. There might be more OCs, just wondering how to do them. Lilith has access to a light-based arsenal along with the Ancient Satan Arts. In terms of KNOWN power she is between High-Class and Ultimate Class. joins Issei to aid him in the use of the Flaming Sword in an interesting style. Expect more in the future chapters from this Neutral-Chaotic Neutral Devil.**

* * *

 _ **Issei's Room, Hearts Building, First Heaven**_

 _ **6 years before the canon timeline, Present day**_

"So Issei, how did you get the Dragon Fruit?" Dulio asked, as the two enjoyed a light breakfast.

"Well, it all began one time when Griselda took me to Egypt..." Issei said, drifting off as he remembered the events that happened that day...

 _ **Somewhere in Egypt**_

 _ **7 years before the canon timeline, a year before Tiamat's Bargain**_

The child was playing with some Egyptians that were of his age, give or take a couple of years. However, he was approached by an odd man, who with his presence scared the other kids away. Hair that was the color of purple wine, dressed in a black tank top and some jeans with some combat boots, the man held something.

"Hey kid, you want some fruit?" he asked, a big grin on his face.

 **[Tannin, stop trying to scare my host…]** Albion said all of a sudden.

"Well if it isn't Albion…" the man, now identified as Tannin said.

"Who are you?" Issei asked, looking at the man.

"Oh, sorry for that. Well, I'm Tannin the Blaze Meteor Dragon, nice to meet you," he says, shaking Issei's hand with his free hand.

"I'm Issei Hyoudou, the White Dragon Emperor!" Issei said with childish glee.

"Well Issei, I have a surprise for you. This, is Dragon Fruit, a special kind of fruit some dragons require for survival. Normally I would deliver some to Apophis, but he didn't bother coming today, said something about a trial concerning Horus," Tannin said.

"Oh…" Issei said.

"The point is, I was wondering if you could plant this somewhere in Heaven? That way, you can have a snack of sorts, use it as leverage with other dragons…"

 **[Don't give my partner ideas…]** Albion said.

"I don't see you complaining. You may not like the suggestions of the fruit as a bargaining chips, but I am quite sure you've missed the taste of a ripe Dragon Fruit, haven't you?" Tannin asked, smirking.

'3, 2, 1…' Tannin thought, before the deceased dragon caved in.

 **[*Sigh* yes…]** Albion admitted in defeat.

"Now that wasn't so difficult, huh? So what do you say kid, want to help a dragon out?" he asked.

"Sure?" the child asked, before the man handed him the fruit.

"Good! Now, I must get going, that exorcist is coming my way. See you around, kid!" Tannin said, before quickly vanishing.

"Issei, what happened?" Griselda asked, running up to him.

"This man called Tannin gave me a fruit!" he said, showing the fruit to her.

'Tannin came for Issei, why?!' the Queen of Hearts thought, before the two quickly left Egypt.


	5. Fruits of Friendship

**Hello everybody, Azrael Voorhees here, and I'd like to thank you all for checking in on Chapter 5. So, things went odd (writing break, Lyoko and other issues), so I brought the chapter a bit short, but not the picnic chapter (that one's most likely the next chapter, think of this one as an appetizer for the main course). Also, before we begin, there are a few changes concerning Chapter 4 my friend Keon/CrimsonAzazel pointed out, so here's the parts I fixed:**

 **Fixed the time jumps, using a "before canon storyline" as a reference (and yes, Issei is 17 in the "canon storyline" for this story if time jumps of that frequency are used.**

 **Fixed Rizevim's attitude, he is OOC due to a variable: the Flaming Sword.**

 **Fixed Lilith's power level, now she is between High-Class and Ultimate-Class when it comes to known abilities and feats (meaning there could be much more).**

 **Fixed the final time jumps, the Dragon Fruit story being post-A/N.**

 **And now, reviews:  
\- Plasma: Plasma my man, good to have you back. And, I'll think about it. As Revan once suggested, there are so many ideas, but the question is which one to choose.**

 **-Laserbr0: Well, turns out she's not. Might make her a recurring character.**

 **-sil0celestion-boos imperial: Gracias, es bueno ver que te haya interesado.**

 **-darth56: I saw in several stories (if my memory doesn't fail me) that Tiamat has killed several of the past possessors of the Heavenly Dragons, so I went with it. And instead of the typical conflict, I decided to go with this idea.**

 **P.S. Listening to 'Brain Power', Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and Nirvana Unplugged helps with creativity and speed.**

* * *

" _ **Mother used to say that she earned my father's heart through his stomach. Being honest, I wasn't one to complain, because her meals were the best. Fancy restaurants, fast food joints, none were good compared to the warmth I felt from her meals. I'd already earn Dulio's favor after a batch of cupcakes, and Mirana's came soon after with Tula Gingerbread. Who knows, maybe I'll earn Gabriel's heart with this. After all, she and I made our picnics quite frequent…"**_

 _ **Issei Hyoudou**_

* * *

 _ **Familiar Forest**_

"What?" the Dragon King asked, looking down at him.

"Yeah, I said I wanted to bargain," Issei answered, crossing his legs and sitting on the ground.

"And what makes me think I should let you walk away alive, hmm?" she asked, bringing a fist down and slamming it beside him.

"You missed on purpose, which means that you don't have a good reason to kill me… yet," he says, bringing out a bottle of water and drinking from it.

"You're right, I'll give you that… What's your name?" she asked.

"Issei Hyoudou, and given the information I was provided, you are Tiamat the Chaos Karma Dragon," he said, enthusiasm in his voice.

"Nice to meet you," she said. "What is this bargain you told me about when you arrived?" she asked, getting closer, a few feet away from him.

"Well, after proper care I managed to grow some fruit, to the degree that I could share a basket with you," he says, pulling out a sealed box and a basket. The dragoness raised an eyebrow at this, only for the teen to pull out several fruits rather quickly and put them in the basket before making the box vanish.

"How did you get this?" Tiamat asked, using a claw to carry the basket by its handle, looking at the contents.

"A man gave me a fruit," he answered, putting the bottle aside and looking up at her.

"And who would this man be?"

"Tannin…" he answered.

"How did you make him give you the fruit?"

"I don't know, I was in Egypt visiting with my aunt before I was approached by him…" he says, spawning a knife made of light and twirling it.

"And who is your aunt?" she asked, putting the basket aside.

"It's not in my place to say her name unless the person I am talking to is one I can trust. I trust you, but not enough to spill the beans on who's close to me."

"Fair enough. You gave me the fruit for the bargain you've yet to talk about. What do you seek from me?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could train me."

"For what purpose?" she asked. People usually came to challenge her, but to seek her guidance in combat was something rare. How long had it been since someone had asked her if she could train them?

"Well, Tannin suggested that I train with you, said something about not being able to train me himself due to the current situation involving the three factions…" he answered, laughing nervously.

"Are you scared?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sort of? I was alright until we reached this point. If I'm not wrong, you're going to ask me what abilities I have…" he said, looking away.

"You guessed correctly… Now look at me, child. What abilities do you have?" she asked, pressing him, earning an answer shortly after she asked.

"I am the White Dragon Emperor…" he said, now looking at her, fear written on his face.

'1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8… 9? 10?' Issei thought, as the legendary dragon showed no emotion.

"What do you plan on doing concerning the Red Dragon Emperor?" she asked, looking at him. His fear washing away due to the outcome, Issei stood up and spoke.

"Well, I don't know him or her, so there isn't much I should do. I mean, I asked Albion several times after he began bragging about his powers and rivalry, but he never mentioned why they became rivals. I rarely speak to him nowadays, I guess it was after the day he and I spoke about his rivalry for the last time."

"Let me guess: he got annoyed because you didn't want to continue this rivalry?" she asked, receiving a nod from him. "Also, do you mind if I turn into my human form? Eating the Dragon Fruit in this form would be a waste, I'd rather enjoy it…"

"Not at all, I can also prepare the fruit for you if you want to…" he says, watching how a bright blue light enveloped Tiamat, leaving a woman sitting on the ground in front of him. Long, pale blue hair that reached the ground, dark blue eyes that seemed to look into ones soul yet have a certain mysterious influence, and a beauty that was near incomparable, this woman was dressed in a plain blue dress that reached the ground, her legs crossed as she handed a fruit over to him.

He spawned a small box and made the light knife vanish, taking out a knife from the box along with a plate and a small bottle of chili powder. He then began cutting the fruit into slices and putting said slices on the plate before applying the powder onto said slices, handing her the plate once finished. She tried a slice, surprised at this: how could something sweet be mixed with something spicy? It just fit so well, she needed more. In an unladylike fashion, she ate the remaining slices, finishing them in a couple of minutes.

"Say Issei, are you busy today?" she asked, giving the plate back to him.

"Not at all, why?" he asked, curiosity evident.

"Could you please make more of these snacks?" she asked, a look on her face he was more than familiar with: the look of craving in the sense of food. He had seen it plenty of times on Dulio's face, occasionally on Gabriel's as well. It was amusing to see how these powerful beings could be entertained or pleased with such simple things, and he liked it.

"I wouldn't mind doing so," he answered, as he brought out more utensils and ingredients. Over the span of a few hours, the two enjoyed an array of snacks involving the Dragon Fruit along with several conversation topics: slices of Dragon Fruit and cheese on circular crackers as appetizers with a glass of water while they began talking about the basics of each other. The talk about an in-depth analysis of their abilities (excluding the Flaming Sword and some of Tiamat's tricks) was accompanied by an intermission of kebabs prepared on a portable grill and a fruit punch with traces of Dragon Fruit.

"Mmm, this punch is good, where did you get the ingredients?" she asked, drinking from her glass.

"All of the fruits were obtained from my own little corner of the Garden of Eden. I would have used the Forbidden Fruit, but it's forbidden for a reason," he said, chuckling as they continued eating. The dessert was none other than apple snack stacks, circular slices of apples stacked on each other in small stacks with a hole in the middle, said hole and layers between the slices being filled with peanut butter.

"That was great Issei," Tiamat said, smiling as Issei used magic to wash the dishes before making them vanish.

"You flatter me, Tiamat," Issei said, blushing a bit at the praise.

"Now, I believe that you wanted me to train you?" the dragoness asked, standing up.

"Yes Tiamat," he said, now taking a knee.

"Mmh, such humility is refreshing… Shall we begin the familiar process?" she asked, smirking.

"Wait, what?" he asked, before standing up.

"I want to become your familiar."

"Oh… Why though?"

"Well, it's been a while since I've been in the human world and other realms, and I could use some company. I'll train you in whatever draconic skills you may have, so as long as you keep on making those tasty meals of yours," she says.

"Ok. Wait, how do we do this?" he asked, making sure he left nothing lying around.

"Just hold my hands and let me do all the work, okay?" she said, giving him a soft smile.

"Yes Tiamat," he said, as the two were covered with a light blue aura. After a few seconds, the aura died out, leaving Issei with an odd light blue mark on the back of his right hand before it faded quickly.

"What's this?" he asked, looking into her eyes, seeing as she also had one.

"Think of it as a bonding mark, meaning that you are under my care. Normally, it would be the other way around, but given our current power, it is the way it is right now. Now, shall we get going? I want to meet some of these people whose identities you didn't tell me about," she asked, a malefic grin on her face, not of evil intentions, but actually of a desire to see how many she could spook with her introduction.

With a quick bright flash, the two left in a cross, leaving the Familiar Forest with a being less to fear.

* * *

 _ **First Heaven**_

The two arrived and saw several angels raise their guard upon seeing the woman who was with Issei before he gave them his trademark soft smile, which eased their slightly-worried minds. Tiamat, however, smirked and flared some of her power, making most of the angels run away before several prepared their weapons and magic.

"Now now Tiamat, that is rude. You should not do that in someone else's home. Come on, I'll show you the Garden of Eden," Issei said, holding her hand before Tiamat stopped flaring her aura. The angels went from scared to wide-eyed, shocked at the fact that the current possessor of Divine Dividing was able to speak to one of the five Dragon Kings with such ease. While the feat might seem impressive itself on paper, the fact that Hyoudou did so in such a calm tone that carried no pressure nor was scolding was surprising. With that kind of charisma and power at the age of 12, most residents of Heaven thought he was going to go places.

* * *

 _ **Fourth Heaven**_

Gabriel was seated under the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, smiling as she held a red apple that was bitten. Her father had used magic to preserve it as a reminder. While his point was 'curiosity killed the cat', she saw in it 'satisfaction brought it back' as well. She missed Azazel and the others, and figured that she might visit them, in a time where she could take a proper break, maybe go around the world with her favorite angel: Issei.

However, as it happened years ago in a similar situation, her peace was interrupted with an arrival that brought a smile to her face, although said smile was quickly vanishing as the second presence intrigued her. Getting up quickly and tidying herself up, she walked over to her Joker and the unknown woman.

"Ise, who is it you have brought with you today?" the Seraph asked, wrapping her arms around him, an action he reciprocated.

"Oh, this is Tiamat. She's my familiar," he says in a calm tone, charming smile on his face.

'What, how?!' Gabriel thought, slight panic before she began to see the pros and cons of this. 'Wait, this could be beneficial to Heaven, she can be a chaperon of sorts if Issei must reside on Earth… Hmm, pretty convenient for any future events the writer might have, and that is without taking into account the possible alliance with dragons aside from Albion, but anyways…'

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Tiamat. I am Gabriel, Seraph and also Issei's mentor," she said, wrapping her arms around him so his back would be against her chest.

'Somebody's protective, or is it clingy?' the dragoness thought.

"Very well, I have a proposition for you. Aside from training him in his draconic skills, I shall take care of him while he resides in Kuoh. In exchange, you will earn my favor, and in due time with the proper procedures, Tannin's and the Underworld's support in case a major threat happens, and I know that you are tired of this uneasy ceasefire," Tiamat said, smirking.

"Mmh, how can I refuse? I accept, but… Issei will visit me at least once a week, understood?" the Seraph asked, hugging him a bit tighter, something he enjoyed.

"A deal's a deal, you have my word. Now Issei, show me that corner of Eden you have," she said, pulling him out of Gabriel's grasp before the two left the Seraph. This conversation made the Seraph forget the apple she was holding, only for her to remember quickly as she smiled. Putting the apple in her pocket, she put a hand on the tree and smiled.

"Adam, Eve, humanity is indeed a gift," she said, looking at Issei as he walked with his familiar.

* * *

 _ **Former Hyoudou residence, Kuoh Town, Japan**_

 _ **Several months later**_

The 'festival' as he called it due to a lack of memory concerning the topic it involved was something he had looked forward to. He hadn't been to it in a couple of years, yet it was still as lively as ever. Unlike the majestic ones cities like Kyoto offered, this one was small but just as lively since Kuoh was big enough for a festival. He had been to the town fairs in several cities of the United States and Mexico, but none compared to this one.

Dressed in a white and blue kimono, our young protagonist was walking alone with a crepe in his hand, he waved at Tiamat, who was dressed in a light blue kimonowith a dark blue obi wrapped around her stomach. As one of the planners for this year's festival, she was at a booth, tending to several customers in a fishing game. He met several students he knew from the park, some from the middle school he attended, so on and so forth.

However, there was an older girl who struck his interest, one who was alone. Black hair, dressed in a matching kimono and a golden obi, the unknown person was catching her breath, resting her hand on a tree to avoid falling. His protective instincts kicking in, Issei ran over to her.

"Hey, is everything alright?" he asked, secretly using his abilities to detect anything strange from her. He felt an unknown element, but he wouldn't press her to talk about it.

"Y-yes, just catching my breath," she said, composing herself.

"You look like you could use something to eat, care for a bite? My mother has a steak that is to die for," Issei said, seeing a few unknown beings in the distance heading towards them at a high speed, motioning her to look back. Doing so, she realized the dangers of refusing, and thus began walking with him towards Tiamat's booth.

* * *

 **And there we go, I have returned. Next chapter guarantees a fight, and I want to thank you all for your patience. I was taking a break until CrimsonAzazel said the following:**

" **Azrael**

 **where**

 **is**

 **my**

 **big tiddy**

 **seraph gf?"**

 **With that said, I laughed and realized that someone asked in a polite (and humorous) manner for me to continue. I took a break because I felt that I was exhausting myself with the ideas and whatnot. Alongside binge-watching Code Lyoko and also helping with the family business and my mother's birthday being on the 26** **th** **, I wanted to refresh myself instead of rushing things. That said, thanks for reading, and I hope you all enjoyed it.**


	6. First Fight and a Guest

**IMPORTANT A/N!**

 **Hello everybody, Azrael Voorhees here, and I'm bringing you all another chapter (beta'd and by CrimsonAzazel). So, with a newfound interest for League of Legends, I'll try and avoid becoming part of the addiction (not a drug, but they say it can drain your hours pretty easily).**

 **Now, reviews:**

 **Plasma: Eh, we'll see about that, there's a concept known as OCs…**

 **Darth56: Thanks, I have yet to see a story where Issei wasn't her lover or friend.**

 **Atomiccaa: Well, given who his aunt is, along with how chill Tannin can be and the non-violent approach Issei used, it is quite expected. Then again, there have been fics where Issei starts with Ophis right off the bat.**

 **Xperior: The Flaming Sword is a dagger when not used, and it becomes a sword with a blade made of fire when active.**

 **That aside, if there's something you want to point out, review, idea, etc, PM or comment. Without further ado, let's begin!**

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" **Leaving Shirone at the Gremory's doorstep was far more difficult than evading the hunters. While it sounds like dropping off a package, it's painful when that 'package' is your younger sister, the only thing of worth you have left in this rotting world. All I have to do is make it back to Kyoto and I'll be safe for the time being until I can prove my innocence, but then again, the Elders aren't too caring about the rules…"**

 **Kuroka**

* * *

Making their way back to Tiamat's booth was fairly simple, though quiet despite the liveliness of the festival. Issei assumed it was due to these mysterious pursuers, but he would ask her somewhere far more private, and at a later time. Some minutes later, they were greeted by the sight of the blue-haired beauty who was taking a break after tending to the customers, a few teenagers covering for her.

"Issei, who is this girl?" Tiamat asked in a teasing tone, which made Issei shake his head in a knowing manner.

"Oh, I saw her alone and tired next to a tree, looks she was running away from something," Issei said, holding Tiamat's hand. 'She's being chase for reasons I don't know, I want to keep her safe,' Issei spoke to her via mental link.

'Anything suspicious concerning her? For all we know she could be a criminal in one of the other factions, like the Stray Devils and Rogue Fallen.' Tiamat answered in his mind.

'No mother, I think there's more to this…' Ise countered, looking at his mother with pleading eyes. She despised his nature in a way, for he was willing to give the worst of people a second chance. However, he taught her the same, showing her that the users of Albion could offer more than draconic pride, senseless conflict and the despair Tiamat had once suffered. Looking at him, she gave her answer.

'Fine, not like she can do much to us, my son,' she spoke in his mind before they broke the link, which resulted in Tiamat bringing him in for a hug, Kuroka looking at the two as they enjoyed the embrace. After what seemed like countless hours, the two broke it, now looking at the female teenager.

"Come now Issei, we should get to know her better." Tiamat said, before the three left the stand, heading for a booth that specialized in serving meals with red meat. Due to their surroundings, they only gave the basics of each other, which were the name, age, occupation, relationships and other minor things. Kuroka, approximately between 13 and 17, was a young shrine maiden who had a younger sister, but the dragon duo knew better.

"So this is the Hanami festival?" Issei asked, looking at Kuroka who had a small smile while eating her steak, courtesy of Tiamat's skills.

"Yes, it is a festival held to celebrate the blossoming of the Sakura trees," the black-haired teen said looking at the two.

"I guess all my time away has made me rusty when it comes to traditions here," the angel said, giving her his trademark smile.

'This instinct of sorts, a protective one… hehe, figures. Still, Shirone's safety is what worries me, I have to check up on her. But how?' she asked, looking a bit distant, something Tiamat observed.

"Ise, why don't you take Kuroka home? You've stayed out long enough, and our guest looks like she could use a good rest," Tiamat said, flaring enough of her aura to give her no option but to accept.

"Yes mother. See you at home," Issei said, wrapping his arms around her before she wrapped hers around his. A few seconds later the two broke the embrace and parted ways, Kuroka walking alongside Issei.

As the duo walked down the empty streets of Kuoh, Issei slowly pulled her closer and held her hand.

"What's the matter, Kuroka?" Issei asked, briefly looking at her before looking forward again.

"It's just, something I don't want to talk about Ise," she answered, looking away.

"We can talk about it at home, or maybe some other time, how about that?"

"Yeah, I guess," she answered, frowning as the two kept walking, nothing but the silence as their witness. That is until half a dozen beings arrived, all with leathery black wings and malefic smiles.

"Stray Devil Kuroka, we have come to kill you for murdering your master," one said in an arrogant tone.

"You're a Stray?" Issei asked Kuroka, receiving a nod from her.

"Does this have to do with the reason you were running away?" he asked, receiving a nod from her once more. "It's okay, I'll try and talk with them before we go home, alright?" he asked, giving her his trademark smile.

"Well, on behalf of my superior and the Dragon King Tiamat, I am not allowed to let you take her,

and therefore, I suggest we talk instead of fighting to reach an outcome that is beneficial to both of us," Issei said, his choice of words being far more formal.

"Ehehehe, we'll be done with you in no time!" one exclaimed before flying towards him and preparing to punch him, only for Issei to intercept this.

"Well, there goes peace. Then again, arrogance equals defeat," Issei said, spawning his Sacred Gear.

"He has a Sacred Gear?!" a second devil asked, stepping back a bit as the six who were sent to kill Kuroka looked at the white and blue wings.

"Yes I do. Now, I will repeat myself: let's sit down and talk things through instead of resorting to violence," Issei said, hovering above the ground.

"She will come with us, dead or alive!" a female devil wearing a green dress said, spawning some magic runes.

"Then so be it," the angel said, his smile quickly replaced with a frown as his attire was quickly replaced with a silver armor that had a blue border, with white robes and a mix of blue and gold details on the borders of his robes, along with his hair becoming gold and his eyes green.

"An angel…" one of the devils said.

"Well that cat's out of the bag. Being honest, I didn't know she was a Stray, but aren't Strays said to be humans with a beastly appearance?" he asked, making a sword of light.

"That doesn't matter, what matters is that you're defending this Stray!" the devils said, before one of them charged at him.

"Stay back Kuroka, I'll handle them," Ise said, smiling softly before fighting the devils. He had to dodge several magic blasts and hits, doing so with grace before he appeared in front of the devil who spawned the runes and preparing a light sword, only to do a quick teleport and appear in front of a devil who had a staff, delivering several slashes to said devil's knees and forcing that devil to kneel before he knocked it out.

The third devil fired an orb of energy that Issei deflected by turning his light sword into a bar, hitting the devil who fired it along with another one, leaving two left. A fifth devil charged at him, this being a gigantic man of a bit more than 2 meters in height. He swung what looked like a pillar before Issei jumped on it, using the momentum to fall and land in front of the rune devil and flicking her nose with his index finger. Running away from the first devil's reach, he began dodging quick slashes from the sixth devil and blasts from the first one.

"Give up child, we've won!" the devil in the green dress said before Issei appeared near her, the giant swinging at him.

"You've already lost," he said, walking away with Kuroka as she heard one word.

 **[DIVIDE!]**

'What?!' she thought, as she felt weakened, only for the giant to swing at her, sending her against a tree and knocking her unconscious.

"You feathered prick, you took out our king!" the giant said.

"Not at all, that was your doing," Issei answered, turning to look at him. "I realized that your fighting style was strong but predictable. I also realized that you couldn't really stop a swing that easily, so I used this to my advantage to make you swing at me at the right time and also knock her out. The divide would wear her out enough to prevent her from escaping your swing, but now that I've absorbed half her power and only you and the knight are left, shall we continue?" he asked, the holy energy from the light bar becoming stronger as it became a sword again.

"N-no, we surrender," the knight said, motioning the giant who happened to be a rook to kneel.

"What are you going to do with us?" the giant asked, his anger no longer present.

"Spare the six of you, but the punishment will be up to them," Issei said, pulling out a silver coin and leaving their fates in the hands of the coin toss.

"It's about time I visit my aunt," Issei said, looking at the Vatican that was on the side of the coin that was face-up before making the coin vanish. Using an improvised lasso made of light, he tied the six together and held Kuroka's hand, the eight vanishing in a cross.

* * *

 ** _Griselda Quarta's office (formerly Father Rowe's), The Vatican_**

"Issei, where are we?" Kuroka asked, slightly scared.

"The Vatican, but don't worry, my aunt and the others are really nice people. In…" Issei said, checking his watch quickly before continuing. "2 minutes and 38 seconds my aunt will come, so let's take a seat," he answered, pulling out a chair for her as the two saw the hunters in the corner of the room, having given up.

"O-okay," she said, taking a seat before he did. As if he were a fortune teller, Griselda walked in with a soft smile on her face, too soft, which scared Kuroka.

"Issei, why are there seven devils in my office?" she asked, taking a seat at the desk.

"Oh, the answer is simple: I became her friend," he answered, a hand open and motioning towards Kuroka who nervously waved before he continued.

"And so did Tiamat. We were walking home until the six devils over there said that she was a stray and that she had to be brought back dead or alive. However, she didn't look like a Stray and given what I have heard of strays I began to think that maybe there's more to this, I felt no evil from her. So there was a minor fight which I won thanks to your training. I think I was good, and I decided to ask you what we should do with the six," he said, giving her a smile which made her shake her head and laugh a bit.

"Oh Issei, what am I going to do with you? Who is this devil anyways?" she asked, only for one of the captured devils to answer, the one in the green dress.

"T-that's Kuroka, charged for having killed her master after going mad with Senjutsu," she answered, no hostility in her voice.

"Well she looks far from mad, but, where are your manners Issei? You didn't introduce me to them," she said, before getting up and ruffling his hair.

"Sorry, it's because we went down to business first. Anyways, Kuroka, other devils, this is my aunt, Griselda Quarta. Griselda, Stray Devil Kuroka and six stray hunters," he said, making the seven devils afraid.

"It is a pleasure to meet you," Griselda said, before bringing out a sword.

"L-l-likewise/pleasure's ours/h-hi…" the seven answered, looking at her.

"Now Issei, what should we do with them?" the Queen of Hearts asked after Issei showed her his coin, the Vatican side to be precise.

"Hmm, Kuroka can live with me and Tiamat, and I think you should come up with the fate of the six. Come on Kuroka, let's go for a walk around the Vatican before going home," Issei said with that smile that washed away all her worries.

"Y-yes Issei," she said, exiting the office through the door with him, still scared due to the fact that his aunt was one of the deadliest women the three factions had to offer.

"Now… have you heard of Juan Soldado?" Griselda asked, looking at the six with a smile that put Freed Selzan and several others to shame.

"Um… no?" the leader asked.

"Well, in the early 20th century Mexico and other countries handled a 'Run Law', as it is known by its rough translation. Those who escaped alive were granted freedom, and those who didn't were left to die on the shooting range or land they reached, Juan Soldado being the most popular of these cases." Griselda answered. "Now, the six of us will have a thorough sparring session, and if at least one of you is still standing up by the time the sand in the hourglass reaches the bottom, then the six of you can go back to the Underworld under one condition."

"And that is?" the leader asked.

"I don't want any of you near my nephew or his friends and family if your intentions are hostile, or else I will show you the full reason of why Gabriel chose me to be her Queen," Griselda said, her tone now serious before the seven left in a cross.

* * *

 _ **Hyoudou Residence, Kuoh Town, Japan**_

"Don't worry about auntie Griselda, she's a really nice person when you get to know her. As for my Seraph, you'll eventually get to meet her," Issei said, walking to the second floor of his house before reaching a door and opening it, showing an average bedroom.

"Will the other Devils try to hunt me down here?" Kuroka asked, still slightly worried.

"Not at all, my house was modified by my mother to prevent unwanted teleportation and aura detection. It also has the resistance necessary to endure town-level damage," Issei said, as he looked at her. "If you need something my room's next door. Bathroom's at the end of the hall and phone's downstairs if necessary. In case you have a friend or want to check up on your sister," Issei said, smiling softly, earning a soft hug from the Nekoshou.

"I-I can't call her now, I had to leave her in the Underworld," she said, crying a bit.

"It's okay Kuroka, I'm sure we'll find a way. For now, let's get some rest, we'll go out tomorrow to buy some supplies and clothes for you, and I won't take no for an answer," he said, gently petting her before earning an involuntary purr from her.

"Neko?" Issei asked, chuckling.

"Nekoshou," she said, spawning her cat ears and tails.

"Well, you don't look so bad. Now get some rest, I'll make breakfast tomorrow," he said, breaking the embrace and heading towards his room.

''What did I do to deserve this?' Kuroka asked with a feeling of unworthiness in her mind.

* * *

 _ **Two years later**_

A dapper teenager of brown hair and matching eyes was putting several items in a basket, smiling as he did so. It had been two years since the night he had met Kuroka, who had become an older sister of sorts. Taking the house rules imposed by Tiamat into account, her kimono was now the length of an average one, also showing much less than her former kimono did. The times were rare when she would opt for a shirt and jeans, saying 'old habits die hard'. Not that they minded, for she also selected several styles and color combinations.

"Ise, what are you doing nya?" Kuroka asked, looking at her figurative younger brother as he was putting several things in a basket.

"Just preparing things for my picnic with Gabriel, what for?" he asked, briefly looking at her before he kept putting these items in.

"Oh nothing, just wondering how you're going to tell your girlfriend how much you love her, nya," she said in a teasing tone, which earned a blush from him. While his love for his Seraph was not as obvious as one would expect it to be, the Nekoshou and dragoness had been around him enough time to know just how much he loved Gabriel, and thus teased him to no end when Gabriel and the other angels weren't around.

"For the last time, she isn't my girlfriend… at least not yet," he said, muttering the last part.

"Not yet? Ooh, Issei and Gabriel, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a- wait, you can reproduce, right?" she asked, doubt arising.

"I don't really know. But the point is, I plan on confessing to her today, or maybe soon. We've spent five years getting to know each other, slowly getting closer and all. Despite my birthday being a few days ago, she wanted to do something with me, just the two of us. I am now of age in the standards of the supernatural so to say, and that means I can do a few more things and all," he answered, giving his sister a smile.

"So, you're saying that you would have confessed to her if it weren't for the age issue?" Kuroka asked, smirking.

"Never mind," he said carrying the basket before leaving in a golden cross.

"Teasing him never gets old," she said, before looking at a spot in the ground that had sunlight entering from a window. Laying in that spot, she slowly fell asleep.

* * *

 **And that's where we'll end it today! Anyways, thanks for reading, remember to join our Discord server which was made by DxD (and I think Fate) enthusiasts. We've got a general chat, shitpost chat, the writing chat, chapter updates, dxd/fate/anime and manga discussions, the gallery of images and music chats, and last but not least… the NSFW chats, along with the MCs of DxD: Majik, Dakkaboy, DanzyDanz, TheMaousEmpire, Belial The Liar, CreuseryAsmo, and many others. And remember:**

" **You better come down to Excelica: Garden, or else Tia's gonna fucking eat your shoes."**

 **discord. gg/xEApPAS**


	7. Picnic in Eden

**Apologies if this seems rushed, I was out of it for a while. Also, let's get to the A/N.**

 **Hello everybody, AV (now named Stone Ocean due to some friends in another Discord, one that is unrelated to FF AND all the cool names taken), and I want to thank you all for swinging around. This one isn't reviewed by CA due to a good ol' reason: Surprises. This is a four-parter of sorts:**

 **1\. What you're all here for (after several chapters of delays).**

 **2\. Chapter for the occasion (next chapter).**

 **3\. A Fallen OC of sorts, which was voted for in the Discord.**

 **4\. All other stories going on hiatus (I want to focus on one, and also the fact that I'm having a blast with this story).**

 **And now, reviews:**

 **-darth56: Why thank you, this is a treat for what you seek.**

 **-Plasma: I get it, just wanted to keep it a surprise to those who didn't know. Also, please be patient, all will be revealed in due time.**

 **-You10: Nice to see you develop an interest in my fic. Also, the line was something me and the boys in Discord were just messing around with… That, and I wanted a reaction of Tiamat that wasn't her being annoyed or with an insane bloodlust.**

 **-deadmemes2142: Thanks.**

 **Without further ado, time for the main event!**

* * *

1.1 Picnic

1.1.1 Second A/N

1.2 Meet "L.A.", the False Angel

 _ **01010111 01100101**_

 _ **01110000 01100001 01110011 01110011 01100101 01100100**_

 _ **01110101 01110000 01101111 01101110**_

 _ **01110100 01101000 01100101**_

 _ **01110011 01110100 01100001 01101001 01110010**_

 _ **Garden of Eden, Fourth Heaven**_

Our favorite Joker was setting a red and white picnic blanket on the grass beneath the Forbidden Tree, also putting an array of desserts on several plates, taking his time to prepare everything. While the meal itself was already prepared, the troublesome part was preparing the small chocolate fountain and setting everything in such a way that would impress the Seraph he was planning to court. Issei had been Gabriel's Joker for 5 years if his memory didn't fail him, and he enjoyed every moment of it.

Spending his years on the training grounds and in Heaven, the young Joker now had an odd family that consisted on a mother and Dragon King, an SS-Class Stray Devil as a sister and the world's strongest female exorcist as his aunt. However, such skills would not help him court the Seraph he had fallen for.

After several minutes of carefully putting everything in a way that would put the best chefs to shame, he admired his work: with the chocolate fountain in the center, it was surrounded by strawberries, marshmallows and other goodies. On the left, there was a plate that had an array of fruits cut in several methods, let it be sliced or diced, a handful of toothpicks on the side. Finally, on the right was a blue box with white details, said contents unknown. He left his attire for last, quickly changing from his robes to a flannel and jeans.

"Whew, after several weeks of planning, I finally got it. Now, to wait for her and hope things turn out well," the young Joker said, before taking a seat. It was a matter of minutes before his Seraph arrived, though in a different attire. Opting for a white sundress and a pair of heels, Gabriel went towards him, only to stop after seeing what he prepared for her.

"Issei, you didn't have to do all of this," she said, looking at him.

"You're right, I shouldn't. However, I can only give the best for my King," he says, wrapping his arms around her, both of them now at eye level. For the past five years, Issei usually was in her arms as he began his stay in Heaven, only to return to Kuoh a couple years later. With the growth spurt, now he could see her eye-to-eye instead of her looking down. Earning a small blush from her, he smiled softly as she reciprocated the hug.

"Mmh, you pamper me too much, Ise…" she said, before breaking the hug, sitting on the picnic blanket with the help of the young angel before he proceeded to do the same.

"What do you want to try out first?"

"Let's start with the chocolate fountain, it's been a while since I've had chocolate," she said, as he grabbed a stick with a sharp point that was used for food. Quickly putting a small cake ball on it, she covered it in chocolate, eating it time later.

"Mmm, you've outdone yourself Ise."

"We're barely beginning, Gabby," he teased, making her chuckle as he began eating with her, the two catching up after not seeing each other for several weeks. Putting the fountain aside, Issei brought out a deck of playing cards, smiling as he began shuffling.

"Issei, gambling is a sin…" she said, testing him.

"Not quite. The problem is gambling money or resources you do not own. In the case of people, it must be with their consent, and resource-based 'I. ' are acceptable so as long as they are within reach, same goes with tarot," he said, smiling. "Besides, this is simply a game of 21, maybe see who has the better poker face, milady," he added, dealing two cards each, one face-up, one face-down.

"Oh, I see. Hit me," Gabriel said, after checking her face-down, despite the fact that her face-up was oh so conveniently the King of Hearts.

"Alright, didn't know you knew the basic terms of playing cards," he said, handing her the top card in the deck which happened to be the Ace of Diamonds.

"You have to know the basics when it comes to the Brave Saints Deck and the terms in playing cards," she said, giving him her trademark smile.

"Makes sense. I'll take the next card, my King," he said, getting the Ace of Spades.

"Hit me," she said, sighing as she got the Queen of Spades. It got worse when Issei flipped his face-down card, showing a Blackjack consisting on a Six, Four and Ace, all in Spades.

"You win this time, Issei. I'll deal now," she said, dealing. While her Joker had a face-up Ace of Diamonds, she had a face-up Six of Spades. She quickly flipped his face-down card, which turned out to be the 10 of Clubs.

"I don't like this game," she said, putting the cards back in the deck.

"How about Poker?" he asked, grabbing the deck and shuffling it quickly. "Easy to pick up, difficult to master due to what happens before the cards are shown. Read a story of a man who broke the dealer who had everything in his favor until the other player's bluff. Apparently, the dealer had four Kings and a Five of Spades if I'm not wrong, while the other player had a useless hand, didn't even bother to check his hand. All in all, you won't always win with the highest hand but rather, by also making the player declare defeat before the hands are shown," he added, dealing them both five cards.

"I think I will throw in a card," she said, her hand now reduced to four.

"I think I'll be treating myself to four cards," he said, putting four cards over the card Gabriel threw in and drawing four.

"A pity, Dead Man's Hand," he said, showing her an Ace and Eight of Spades, Jack and Four of Hearts, and the Five of Diamonds.

"Then I guess a pair would have been enough," she said, showing him a Three of a Kind, composed of a Nine of Hearts, Diamonds and Clubs.

"Heh, guess this is your game, so to say," he countered, shuffling the deck. "So, what was it about a trip to Kyoto? I heard Mirana and Aunt Griselda talk about it a while ago…" he added, looking at his Seraph as he dealt them five cards each.

"Oh, it is to gain the favor of the Youkai and Shinto factions. Your residence there has helped, but we feared conflict due to your Japanese heritage, which could lead us to your loss," she said, sadness evident. He couldn't really blame her for the reason they couldn't go to the main cities his home country had to offer. After all, he had gotten quite attached to his family and fellow Angels. Putting a hand on hers, he looked at her.

"It's okay Gabriel, I understand. If the scenario you feared came to be, then I would not be here with you right now," he adds, leaving the cards aside as he was now sitting beside her, his hand still holding hers before he wrapped a white wing around her.

"Ise, why are you the one comforting me? It should be the other way around," she said, tears welling up.

"Maybe, maybe not, but the Seraph-Angel relationship should never be one-sided. You may protect us, make sure we have a smile on your face, but who protects you? Who takes it as their personal task to make sure you are always smiling, always safe? I, will do so without a doubt, milady. I, with the power of the card I have been given, the abilities Albion's soul provides, and the Flaming Sword, vow to protect you in an unconditional manner. If you smile, I will smile as well. If you cry, I shall wipe your tears. And if the day arrives where your face is adorned with rage, then I will do what I can to soothe it, maintaining this relationship we have, and maybe… go beyond," he says, before he looked at her.

She looked into his now blue eyes, seeing nothing but warmth in them. Smiling softly, she wrapped an arm around him, an action he returned.

"Better?" he whispered, slowly pressing her against him.

"Better."

"There we go, Gabby. Now, how about we go back to putting the fountain to good use, hmm?" he asked, bringing the fountain and treats near the two.

"How could I refuse…" she said, breaking the embrace. The two continued to eat an array of chocolate-covered delicacies, giggling here and there as they enjoyed each other's company. However, Issei had an idea. Grabbing a strawberry, he coated most of it in chocolate before bringing it close to her mouth. Smiling at this, she took a bite from it, only to blush when he finished the rest of it.

"That was quite tasty," he said, a slightly devious look on his face.

"Mmh… Ise, would you please feed me?" she asked, giving her a pleading look he could not refuse. Grabbing another strawberry and coating it in chocolate, he brought it to her mouth, watching her eat it bit by bit. This continued for several minutes, both of them enjoying every second of it. After putting everything away, the two proceeded to leave Fourth Heaven, heading to her room to continue their get-together.

* * *

 _ **Gabriel's Room, Hearts Building, First Heaven**_

After an uneventful walk, the two were enjoying each other's company, holding hands as they sat next to each other on the bed.

"Gabriel, there's something I forgot to give you, something we didn't bother opening," he said, bringing out the mysterious box from the picnic.

"Issei, is this for me?" she asked, looking into his eyes.

"Yes, milady," he answered, putting it on her lap. Quickly opening the box, she looked at the contents in complete awe. The box's contents was none other than a golden necklace that had several sapphires. The highlight of the necklace was none other than the cross, which was actually a smaller, upside-down replica of the Flaming Sword.

"Ise, where did you get this?" she asked.

"Eh, an old friend…" he answered. "Do you want me to help you put it on?"

"Yes, please," she said, before lifting her hair enough to give him space to help her put on the necklace. A few seconds later, the necklace was now around her neck.

"It looks beautiful on you, milady," he says, blushing slightly.

"Why thank you," she said, bringing him in for a hug. While in their embrace, the two ended up laying on the bed, looking into their eyes as their faces were millimeters away.

"Issei, should I-"

"No Gabriel, I don't mind. In fact, I've been thinking of this moment for quite a while," he answered, running a hand through her hair. Over the years, there were times were he would dream of having her in his arms and kissing her, spending his time with her, and in a much less frequent situation, a dream where it was him, his Seraph and wife, and their child. But, reality was a whole different issue, and it was at this moment where he thought 'now or never'.

The young Joker closed the gap in between the two, delivering a simple, but full of love kiss. After several seconds, they looked into each other's eyes.

"I-Ise, that was my first kiss…" she said, slightly shocked at what just happened.

"I, I'm sorry Lady Gabriel, I do not know what took over but-" he said, only to be interrupted as she pressed her finger against his lips, silently ordering him to be quiet.

"I never did say that I was annoyed, nor that I did not feel the same for you," she said, teasing him.

"Mmh, you're everything and much more, Lady Gabriel…" he teased in return.

"No, no more of that, only when we are in a situation that requires a professional relationship, such as business," she said, before sitting in his lap, which earned a healthy blush from him.

"G-gabriel, why are you sitting in my lap?" he stammered.

"Well, you spent a considerable amount of time sitting in mine the first two years you spent here in Heaven, I believe it is time for you to pay up. Besides, I feel safe in your arms," she said, with her innocent smile as she wrapped his arms around her, something he didn't really object to.

"I-I could get used to this, Gabby," he said, his blush dying down as her back was against his chest.

"So could I, my Joker. So could I…" she answered, the two spending the rest of their time together in a comfortable silence.

* * *

 **A/N**

 **Let me be honest with you: the King of Hearts for Gabriel was pretty convenient, and to a degree the Ace of Spades for Issei, let alone the straight (Poker hand which is obtained by having five cards of the same suit, although in this case the straight was applied in). Also pulled the whole poker story from a manga/anime I won't mention just yet (unless you already found out).**

 **So, next will be a two-splitter consisting on a trip to Kyoto and a trip to the beach, with a VERY special guest. We might make wholesome one-shots (I already learned my lesson so to say), just throw in some suggestions if you would like to help, credit due of course.**

 **Any doubts concerning the chapter or anything else feel free to comment or PM me. And now, a final part for this chapter:**

* * *

 _ **Azazel's Office, Grigori Headquarters, Underworld**_

In his office stood Azazel, analyzing the papers in a folder. There was more information concerning Issei compared to five years ago when the accident occurred. Raising a brow at the detailed description Kalawarner provided, he chuckled as he kept on reading. He believed the two would get along when he decided to present himself to the child, maybe earn something out of their friendship as a bonus. But, there was one problem: the rumors concerning the rogue Fallen.

Despite the current ceasefire, he knew that it would only take a meaningful death to begin everything. With rumors of two heiresses from important Pillars of the Underworld and also sisters to the Maou, he could already imagine Kuoh painted with a bulls-eye. It got worse knowing that Issei was an Angel, a very important one at that. However, he had to make sure this child was alive, the Devils had their extremely powerful siblings anyways.

Getting up, he made his way around the Grigori, occasionally waving at a Fallen here and there. Upon reaching his room, he changed his attire to a polarized trench coat, matching pants and combat boots, finishing it off with a pair of goggles. Vanishing into a seal, his room became empty in a flash.

 _ **Mount Azov, Russia**_

There was a good reason as to why he had to change his attire: the dreadful and treacherous weather. This snowy region had claimed many lives, and those who made it back alive described a 'ghost in the snow', quickly vanishing before they could reach out to the figure. While he was one of the most powerful beings the Grigori had to offer, he didn't want to test his luck and reach his destination dead.

After a while walking, he arrived at a cave, going in and taking a breather. It had been a while since the last time he was in Russia, let alone these parts. If his memory didn't fail him, the last time he was here was during the Crimean War, meeting two strange figures, one from each faction. However, the first figure's whereabouts were currently unknown, though he was here for the second person.

Moving on, he left the cave and kept on walking through the blizzard, slowly falling to his knees after a few hours. He chuckled as he remembered the parting words of the individual the last time they saw each other: 'I'll come to you, not the other way around.' As he remembered these words, a blue hand reached out to him, helping him get up after he took it. Quickly making it out of the snowstorm with an insane speed from the unknown helper, the two reached a cabin, quickly entering to escape the snow.

"Thanks, it's been a while," Azazel said, smirking as he saw the mysterious being, who happened to be a woman. Blue skin, white hair, and dressed in a long war coat that ended between her knees and her ankles, red lipstick a set of black heels finishing off the look.

"Yes indeed. Now Azazel, what brought you here?" she asked, taking a seat as Azazel's attire was now his usual.

"Well, there is a certain somebody I need you to spy on, keep me updated," he said, bringing out a folder.

"What are your closest allies doing that you require my help?"

"Dohnaseek and Kalawarner are undercover, trying to find the traitor among the Grigori, and Shemhazai and Baraqiel have their own duties."

"Hmm, you do know that I am all but cheap," she said, a smile adorning her face.

"So I've been told," he countered, handing her the folder. She went through it, taking her time to analyze the information he provided. After a while, she put the folder aside, looking at him.

"Where can I find this child, Azazel?" she asked, with sweet smile.

"In Cancun, Mexico, my lovely Azov…" he said, looking into her eyes.


	8. Mr Blue Sky (Please Read)

We're still here!

Hello, A.V. here, and I have brought my man Issei for a 411 of sorts.

Issei: Yes, my friend here has entered a writer's block with a side of laziness, explaining the lack of new content, so here is a sneak-peek at the next chapter:

 _ **Alternate Worlds in the Dream of Mirrors**_

" _ **I began having these dreams of worlds existed but with slightly different events. However, there are others that can't, couldn't or shouldn't exist due to possibilities and/or just how nefarious these worlds are. Here I will write down what happened in these worlds through the eyes of alternate versions of me, with the rare exception of seeing this alternate version of me. These dreams have happened for a while, and I figured that writing down these dreams, this being the one I had last night and second or third I see the alternate version of myself as another being unlike this being from the eyes of the alternate version.**_

 _ **It was me, but I was in a dark suit. Not only that, but my hair looked short-straight, my eyes a black that had mystery behind them. Not only that, but there was a woman I rather not mention beside him. Would this make him an antithesis of sorts? Maybe, maybe not. Point is, this may be one of many worlds out there… worlds that seem real but at the same time don't. Let's hope that the negative worlds do not surpass the positive ones."**_

 _ **\- Issei Hyoudou**_

A.V.: Anyways, these questions pop up: what is with this alternate Issei? Who was the mysterious woman? Also, we will have a little Q&A for both Issei and I (as well as other characters you would like) if you like these kind of things. Also, I would like to apologize for my absence, given that my reasons were unworthy unlike others. Until the next update, I hope you all take care.


	9. Negotiations with the Youkai

***Kanzashi: an ornament used in traditional hairstyles.**

 **Also, I apologize if the quality of this chapter is bad (like, really bad. I did leave this one pending for several months, along with cranking out the other half on Christmas). Shoutout to RedXEagl3 for helping me with a few expressions.**

 **Hello everybody, Azrael Voorhees here. So, the picnic chapter went much better than expected. So, today Issei goes to Kyoto to settle things with the Youkai and Shinto factions, heads to the beach to beat the heat (not really, change of plans, please be patient!), and a special guest at the end of the chapter.**

 **The first 'dream' is a teaser for my next fic, one that is still in the plotting phase. Also, most dreams will be for entertainment purposes or expanding this mini multiverse of mine.**

 **Also, thanks to the guys in Discord for guidance involving the Youkai.**

 **And now, reviews:**

 **\- ya boi: no u**

 **\- darth56: Thanks, Azazel needs Azov for a reason, I'll detail her a bit more in the future. I do hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Dante: La pregunta es el significado.**

 **Guest: All we need are Dmitri and Chernov.**

1.1 Youkai

1.2 Incident

1.3 ?

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1.1 Kyoto

 ** _Alternate Worlds in the Dream of Mirrors_**

 ** _"I began having these dreams of worlds existed but with slightly different events. However, there are others that can't, couldn't or shouldn't exist due to possibilities and/or just how nefarious these worlds are. Here I will write down what happened in these worlds through the eyes of alternate versions of me, with the rare exception of seeing this alternate version of me. These dreams have happened for a while, and I figured that writing down these dreams, this being the one I had last night and second or third I see the alternate version of myself as another being unlike this being from the eyes of the alternate version._**

 ** _It was me, but I was in a dark suit. Not only that, but my hair looked short-straight, my eyes a black that had mystery behind them. Not only that, but there was a woman I rather not mention beside him. Would this make him an antithesis of sorts? Maybe, maybe not. Point is, this may be one of many worlds out there… worlds that seem real but at the same time don't. Let's hope that the negative worlds do not surpass the positive ones."_**

\- **_Issei Hyoudou_**

* * *

 ** _Gabriel's Room, Sixth Heaven_**

 ** _A day before Azov's meeting_**

The Devils and other supernatural beings had called both Angels and Fallen birds due to a good reason: their wings. Sadly, with great wings comes great responsibility in the form of wing maintenance, which was far trickier than with the wings most supernatural beings had.

Preening, the term used for birds maintaining their wings with their beaks. However, some had seen it as mundane as something between friends. However, others had seen it as an act of trust between friends, family, and in rare occasions, Angel and Seraph. However, this case was between lovers, an intimate act of sorts. While doing this, they would talk about upcoming events, the current situation of things, etc.

"Do you think someone will try to interfere in our upcoming trips?" Issei asked, pulling out a feather from Gabriel's right wing as he played some music in the background.

"A spy at the most, but no one silly enough to face us head-on. If he or she does that, the cover is blown and all progress made can backfire, my love," she said, smiling as he kept going.

"I love it when you call me that, despite the fact that we've only been dating for a few weeks," he said, finishing up on her sixth right wing before beginning with her sixth left and taking his time to remove the loose feathers as the music got a bit louder.

"Issei, what does this song mean?" Gabriel asked, looking at him. He stopped removing feathers at this as the music kept playing, with him making his way towards her.

"Despite being a tribute to a former band member, this is a song is also used for people who are former shells of themselves. As to why I began to hear it? A reference here, an ability there," Issei answered, taking a pause.

"Oh."

"But, it's alright. Let's turn this thing off…" he said, turning off the stereo and finishing up, getting a bottle of clear liquid and applying it on her wings.

"Mmh, like that Ise…" she said, feeling as he began massaging her wings to get the liquid in every nook and cranny her twelve wings had to offer.

"I aim to please, my love… and done." he said, watching as she de-spawned her wings, allowing him to hug her, back against his chest. "I'm looking forward to seeing you in a kimono, Gabby," he added, kissing her neck as he held her hands.

"Mmh, and I look forward to looking at you dressed in that white and blue kimono your mother told me about, my faithful dragon," she teased, earning a small chuckle from him.

"You know I love that nickname along with the others you've given me," he replied, looking into her eyes before kissing her. Feeling a bit adventurous, Gabriel turned so her chest was against his as she gently pushed him down on the bed with her on top.

"Oh my, I didn't know you were this naughty," he said, teasing as he kissed her cheek.

"Ise…." Gabriel pouted, earning another kiss from him.

"You started it," he said, smiling softly. "So, should we rest up to get some early breakfast before going to Kyoto?" he asked.

"Yes please," she answered, making him set her on the bed before he went to the closet, grabbed a shirt and pajama pants and went to the bathroom to change, leaving her alone in the room. While he changed, she went over to the jewelry box which actually had their small valuables. She smiled and put the necklace Issei had given her time ago before putting it next to Lucifer's Pentecostal Coin and the necklace Issei's father had given to his son in a manner she did not know of. Not giving it much thought as she had done many times before, she lay in bed, waiting for him after she wore her nightgown.

"Ready for bed, my love?" Issei asked, now in his sleepwear as he got in bed with her, spooning her and smiling as he kissed her cheek.

"Yes, Ise," she said, watching as he wrapped two wings around her, one being an Angel wing with blue at the tips of the feathers on the outer sides.

"Goodnight Gabriel," he said, holding her hand as he fell asleep.

"Goodnight Ise," she replied, sleep slowly taking over.

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The next day came by quickly, with them preparing themselves for their trip to Kyoto. Gabriel's hair had been done up with a kanzashi while her kimono was white with a gold obi, unlike Issei's which was white with a design that was quite different compared to his yukata, the blue obi keeping it in place. Looking over at him, she watched as he was putting the Flaming Sword in a sheath before putting away in a pocket dimension.

"Are you ready, Gabriel?" he asked, holding her hand.

"Whenever you are," she answered, as the two vanished in a cross of light.

 ** _Youkai Grounds, Kyoto, Japan_**

The couple had arrived in the middle of Kyoto, watching the Youkai walk around as they were in the supernatural district. Slowly making their way to Yasaka's Shrine, where the legendary leader of the Youkai awaited them, along with Amaterasu, leader of the Shinto Trinity.

"Honey, I have an idea," Issei said, holding her hand as the two made they observed the people of Kyoto.

"And that would be?" Gabriel asked, slowly getting closer to him.

"If everything goes well today, we could treat ourselves to the local cuisine and activities, or… we could enjoy the beach, given how the weather currently is in Kuoh," he answered, kissing her hand as they kept on walking, eventually reaching the gates as they stopped holding hands.

"Good morning. We were invited to the palace on behalf of Yasaka," Issei said, showing them an invitation which had the signature and royal seal of the Youkai, something only the highest authorities and members of royalty could give. Sharing a look, they stood aside, allowing the couple entry once a beautiful woman arrived. Blonde hair, matching fox tails and ears, and with a yellow kimono made of the finest silk, this woman was none other than the leader of the Youkai Faction.

"Thank you for notifying me of the arrival of our guests, I shall personally escort them to the conference room," Yasaka said, giving them a soft smile before the trio made their way to a small building. Upon opening the door, the two were greeted with a _chabudai_ (Japanese short-legged table), several cushions and a tea set.

"Jasmine?" Issei asked, earning a small glare from Gabriel, only to earn a giggle from Yasaka.

"Indeed, a personal favorite of mine," she answered, before the three entered a _seiza_ (kneeling) position.

"Shall we begin our treaty?" Yasaka asked, earning a nod from Gabriel. Hours passed as the two talked, all while Issei observed. He heard things about letting Exorcists being able to offer their services so as long as said exorcists did not violate the rules in the treaty, and their services were only involved with the three factions, such as hunting down Stray Devils and Rogue Exorcists.

He also picked up things concerning special permissions in terms of certain regions, trading, etc. However, his sight became hazy, and all of a sudden, everything went black.

1.2 Incident

 ** _Hell's Throne Room, ?_**

Waking up, Issei saw Lucifer on his throne, only for the deceased Maou to motion him to get closer.

"Issei, we need to talk," he said.

"What is it Lucifer?" Issei asked, sitting on the floor.

"I will be leaving, for reasons I cannot explain now. However, I ask of you to keep this secret, as Lady Death asked of you when it came to her existence. Please, remember to take care of her, and please, do not let her recede, making her return to the measures she used in Jerusalem all those years ago," he said, a sad look on her face.

"What happened?" he asked, slightly scared.

"1204," he said, before a golden door spawned. "I believe my time has come. If she loses it, please be patient with her, not even my father was exempt from making mistakes," he said, ruffling his hair before getting up and heading to the door.

"Wait Lucifer," he said. "I had a dream where I was sort of dressed like you, and I served a woman who looked like an anime character. Is that a dream, or something else?"

"Even the most unlikely of dreams and realities can come true, young Issei. Just, don't tell anyone else about this," he said, before crossing the golden door and vanishing.

 ** _Yasaka's Tea Room, Yasaka Shrine_**

"Issei, are you alright?" Gabriel asked, shaking him multiple times. Upon awakening, he was scared, needing answers to see how bad the date was involving Heaven. Getting up and quickly leaving, he teleported to the library, greeted by Richard, the keeper of the library who had formerly served Uriel.

"Issei, what's the rush?" He asked, looking at the White Dragon Emperor.

"I need any and all information involving the year 1204," he said, making the librarian raise an eyebrow at him.

"Are you sure? I do not think you want to know," he countered, only for Issei to become uncharacteristically serious.

"There are many things we do not want to know, yet we must to savor the bitterness of reality. The longer I go without knowing, the higher my disappointment may be, if it is disappointment," he said, only for Richard to point to a section of books. Making his way there, he eventually found a collection of books titled 'The Crusades'. As he kept on searching, the details concerning 1204 were quite vague, increasing his curiosity. Rushing towards First Heaven, he made his way to the Spades Building, only to find it empty. Spawning the Flaming Sword, he opened a portal to warp to Sixth Heaven, trying to find Michael. He found him in his room, currently taking a break.

"Issei, you are supposed to be in Kyoto, what happened?" he asked, concerned.

"Michael, I have a question involving Gabriel," Issei asked, as Michael motioned him to take a seat.

"And that would be?" he asked, still concerned but wary, for it was his sister of all people.

"What did she do in 1204?" this question shocked the Seraph, for little to no people knew about this.

"Issei, I don't think I should-"

"Please, I need to know."

"First of all, who told you about this?"

"To counter your question, I ask of you the following: this stays between you, me and her, understood?" he asked, his eyes briefly glowing red before returning to their original color.

"Yes. Now tell me, who told you this?"

"Lucifer himself."

"How?"

"I believe it is something similar to the Sacred Gear and its past users, an effect involving the Flaming Sword. Maybe it has to do with also being able to access the former users of the sword?"

"It doesn't sound too far-fetched, given the power the Heavenly Dragons once had. Returning to the matter at hand, I believe it is not in my place to tell you. Please return to your room, I will notify Gabriel to tell you as soon as she returns."

"Yes Michael," he answered, making his way back to the room he and Gabriel shared. Once he left, Michael sighed as he rubbed one eye with his thumb, and the other with his index and middle finger.

"It was only a matter of time…"

* * *

 ** _A few hours later_**

Appearing in a golden cross, Gabriel had returned in her Seraph outfit, looking at him.

"Issei, why did you leave all of a sudden?" she asked, resting a hand on his.

"Gabriel, what happened in 1204?" he asked, shocking her.

"The Crusades, dear."

"What happened in 1204, what did you do?"

"Issei, I've done some things I'm not proud of. You see, I at one point had a hand in the Crusade, the fall of Constantinople to be precise."

"That's not the reason you feel guilty, is it?"

"N-no. Issei, I killed… men, women, even a few children, all because they had desecrated the churches, stolen countless relics, among other heinous deeds. I lost myself in my rage…"

"Why? I get the fact that they stole from you, but as a Seraph you must set an example. You and the others taught me to not give into the seven sins, yet you easily gave in, trying to justify your actions…" he said, shocked.

"Issei, please don't…" she said, her hand shaking a bit.

"I also get the blinded by rage part, but why didn't you tell me? When I set my secrets on the table, which were hardly any, I saw you doubt yourself a bit, but I quickly shrugged it off. I know it's a lot to ask of you but-"

"Quiet!" she exclaimed, slapping him and knocking him down. After a while, she regained her composure, only to realize what she had done.

"Issei?" she asked, getting on a knee and gently shaking him. "Issei, wake up," she said, still not receiving an answer. "No, nonononono!" she exclaimed, carrying him to the medical wing of Heaven. Watching her fellow angels take him in, she sat down and began to cry, the mistake sinking in.

* * *

1.3 ?

 ** _Issei's subconscious_**

"Mmh, where am I?" Issei asked, rubbing his eyes as he took in the surroundings. "Last I remember, I had questioned Gabriel about 1204, something about Constantino…" he drifted off, finally beginning to recognize the environment. Several red banners with a black emblem, outdated vehicles that looked fresh out of the factory, yet in this city, there were no signs of life, despite the good conditions the buildings were in.

"…ple." Sadly, fate had other plans for him, for a bright red object began flying towards him, and it was here that he realized it was a person.

"No, not this!" he said, as he got ready to run, only for the stranger to stop several meters in front of him.

"State your name and Sacred Gear, child," the figure said in an authorative voice.

"Issei Hyoudou, current White Dragon Emperor. By the looks of it, you are the Red Dragon Emperor, but why does everything look like it came from an old movie?" he asked, spawning his wings. "Wait, where are we? When are we? Everything looks so old yet-"

"New? It is because it's new," the figure answered, his armor vanishing. It was here that Issei was somewhat frightened. Brown uniform, combat boots, and a red band on his arm. However, it was in his eyes that he saw the dominance this man presented.

"N-no…"

"Yes. I am Adolf Hitler, this generation's Red Dragon. You, however, are not my White Dragon.

* * *

 **I honestly think this thing is lacking, and I apologize for the weird second half. Still, it's good to be back, though I think I could have polished this chapter up a bit. However, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas. I'll try and get back on track, slowly explain what Adolf is doing here. Hell, I'll explain here:**

 **\- Based on Earth-X (an alternate universe in DC where the Axis wins because Adolf adopts Superman), I imagined a world where it was also like Earth-3 (a world where the good guys are bad, and the bad guys are good, yet they each have their differences). So, I wanted to use him for the scrapped story where Issei is Bayonetta's son, but with Lady Azov and another idea, how could I refuse putting him here?**

 **Also, this update was to sort of serve as a 'we're still here' chapter, and to finally get the chapter I postponed over with. Thank you for reading, rate and review, and I'll see you all later.**


	10. Of Cards and Comas

**Hey everybody, AV here, and I'm dropping another chapter before (no wait, after) my birthday (on January 16** **th** **). With university I'll try to shape up, and I apologize if the quality is a bit lackluster, I also tried to improve the poker sessions, so let's get to the reviews:**

 **er kebbabaro: Yes, all will be explained in this chapter.**

 **darth56: Really? I thought the slap and coma were a bit too eh, but glad people enjoyed it.**

 **And now, back to the story.**

 **P.S. I apologize for the jumps if they become too much.**

* * *

" _ **Mythology, a concept that varies with each country due to the being that represent them. This did not change the fact of the hypocrisy in the concepts of good and evil existing in said concept of myths. I, as a proud leader, could not allow Heaven and Hell to take over the world in a subtle fashion, leaving the humans to serve them in a one-sided sense.**_

 _ **Even with the Westboro Baptist Church and the Old Satan Faction on my side, I still fear losing my nation and the world's current state in the supernatural sense, yet I will not allow myself to step down, for I am a proud leader, and if the country is taken over, then death would be too easy of a punishment for me."**_

 _ **Adolf Hitler, DxD-3**_

* * *

 _ **Waiting Room, Silver Infirmary, Heaven**_

"Yasaka was displeased when she heard about your incident involving Issei," Michael said, sitting across from her as the two were in the waiting room.

"Not now Michael…" covering her eyes with her hand.

"To make matters worse, Amaterasu said that even if she were to meet with Heaven, it would not involve you, preferring to meet Issei alone. Best case scenario, Dulio or Griselda would be the ones going unless we send Mirana," he added, resting his hand on her shoulder. "Sister, I understand what you are feeling right now, but you must let him rest. Aside from being in a coma, there is something going on with him. We do not know when he will wake up, if he will wake up. If he does, do not expect him to treat you nicely right off the bat, and if he does not remember, you will eventually have to tell him."

"Yes brother," she said, before Raphael arrived.

"Issei is in a stable condition, you may visit him. However, he is in a catatonic state to be precise," Raphael said, before leaving.

"What do we do now?" she asked, her hand shaking.

"We wait, hoping he recovers," he answered, getting up and leaving.

Now alone, the female Seraph began thinking, fearing that she left him in a state beyond recovery. Quickly getting in to check on him, she saw that he was sitting in an upright position, his back resting against a pillow.

However, a metal collar appeared on his neck, three chains attached to it. She then saw as the chains were connected to the wall behind him and the floor that was at his left and right. To make matters worse, she saw him in a straitjacket, a horizontal line above his eyes as if someone cut off the upper part of his skull. Finally, there was a metal piece over the line that had a screw on top and on the bottom, serving as a seal of sorts. She began to cry as she looked away, for she saw that there was an implication that he had been lobotomized.

When she turned to see him again, she saw him as if nothing happened: no chains, screws, nothing, as if it had all been an illusion. Getting up and leaving, she called it a day, leaving him to recover.

* * *

 _ **Axis Germany, DxD-3, Issei's Mindscape**_

"In conclusion, we must protect Germany, one of many countries and factions threatened by Heaven and its allies?" Issei asked, as the two enjoyed a game of cards as the two enjoyed a cup of coffee.

"Precisely, we have decided to risk it all and end them when they arrive. I despise using such terms, but hopefully, we shall be able to defeat them."

"It is understandable. In my case, I am in a world that is not mine, and therefore, I cannot guarantee a result involving this war."

"Are we going to face the leaders head-on?" Issei asked.

"Yes, we will have the support of the Grigori and the Westboro Baptist Church to cover us while we take on the main threat."

"How long until we face them?"

"A few weeks. In the meantime, tell me about yourself," the Fuhrer said as he dealt the cards, his hand consisting on the 9 and 7 of Diamonds, and a 9, 2 and Queen of Spades. As for Issei, his hand consisted on a 5 and King of Diamonds, an 8 of Hearts, a 6 of Spades and a Jack of Clovers.

"I'll have four cards. That aside, what do we have at our disposal?" Issei asked, no hints of malice nor bloodlust in his voice as he threw four cards onto the table as he was dealt the same amount.

"Weapon-wise, a few Dragonslayer projectiles, as well as several Light Swords and Light-Eaters. I do hope you understand, but my personal arsenal is one I would like to keep a secret," he said, throwing three cards into the small pile.

"I'll fold," the Angel said, before gathering the cards and shuffling before dealing five for each. However, a portal appeared, and from it came two women, one being Lady Death while the other had clear skin and blonde hair.

"Would you mind two more players?" Death, only to get the attention of the two men.

* * *

 _ **22 Acacia Avenue, London, DxD-2**_

 _ **Before Issei's poker session with RDE-3**_

Of the many things one would find in London, a brothel was not to be expected when one thought about this European city. In the main room was a beautiful blonde woman among the many men and women there. A black crop top of sorts with two straps making an 'x' on her abdomen, black shorts, fishnet leggings, biker gloves, a black trench coat that reached her ankles and was open in the front and was rolled just below her elbows, a pair of black circular sunglasses and knee-length high heels to finish off her look. However, her phone vibrated. Checking out the notification, she quickly made her way into her room, turning on the computer screen. On it, she saw a dapper teenager with his left eye glowing red.

"Hello Charlotte, long time no see," he said, smiling.

"What is it, Lucifer?" she asked, sighing.

"Now now, that is no way to talk to an old friend, is it? First of all, how is the brothel?"

"Doing fine, why do you ask?"

"Just making sure everything is alright in London, of course. That aside, I have a favor to ask of you, just a little favor I'm cashing in from the 80's," he said, showing a devilish grin.

"Does it involve your kid?"

"Yes and no. Issei was kind enough to let take over for our conversation, but it is not this Issei that concerns me. You see, there is another in a land you are all but familiar with. While it is much like ours, it is not. I've sent a seal to your phone so you could print it out. When you arrive, you will reach a throne room with a pale woman dressed in black. Show her the medallion and tell her to guide you to Issei."

"Anything else?" she asked.

"Not at all, I've already sent Katerea to watch over your women while you're gone. Any questions?"

"Why do I have to be with the kid?"

"We need him alive, all will be explained in due time," he answered, no longer smiling.

"I assume it has to do with your superior?" she asked, chuckling.

"*Sigh* Yes, yes it does."

"Okay, I'll be on my way," she said, before turning off the screen. After printing out the seal, she grabbed a shotgun that was in a drawer and proceeded to go to the garage. Mounting a black chopper bike with a yellow-eyed skull as a replacement for the front light, she created a portal with the seal by projecting a light beam with the skull, quickly going through said portal.

* * *

 _ **Axis Germany, Issei's mindscape**_

 _ **Now**_

"Mistress, what brings you here?" Issei asked, taking a knee and kissing her hand.

"A few things, actually. For starters, I had to make sure you were safe. In theory, you are, but you are in your mind, nothing more. Oh, and feel free to call me by my name, by dear," she said, petting him before he stood up.

"So, none of this is real?" he asked, looking at her.

"Well, it is. You see, I used Gabriel's temper tantrum as a smoke screen to put you in a coma long enough for you to be in contact with me and meet a friend of mine via Lucifer, as well as helping you access the 'multiverse', with an array of versions of you. Also, I apologize for Lucifer's unexpected visit," she said, wrapping her arms around him.

"Excluding a secret found out, no harm done, Lady Death," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "Oh wait, where are my manners? Adolf, this is Lady Death, the entity of Death. I don't really know about the Multiverse concept and I think you're in the same boat I am Adolf, but we'll have time for that. Is there another reason you are visiting?"

"Well, Lucifer sent her to me. As for the final reason, which was now, I found myself tempted to play poker with you," she said, making her way to the table and spawning a comfortable arm chair she sat in.

"Then so be it," Adolf said, motioning the lone Angel in the room to deal two more hands, Charlotte seated at his left, Death at his right and the German leader across the White Dragon Emperor.

"Let me explain my role in all this kiddo, I was sent here by Lucifer to take care of you while you were out of it," she said. "That aside, he said something about stopping Heaven. Once we finish up here, we'll go to your world, where I'll stick around for a while," Charlotte said, her hand consisting on the 9, 8 and Ace of Clovers, the 7 and 5 of Diamonds. "I'll take a card," she added, throwing the Ace and getting a card from Issei, who was the dealer.

"I will inform you of the situation of my nation in due time, for now I will take three cards," the German said, tossing three cards before being dealt the same amount.

"With that somewhat taken care of, shall I explain the Multiverse a bit better?" the entity of Death asked, looking at the three, only to be answered by Issei after she also got rid of three cards.

"Yes please," he said, discarding and drawing four cards.

"I'll fold," Adolf said.

"Likewise."

"No point going further."

"It seems that I've won this round," the biker said, smirking as she showed her hand, which was none other than a Flush completed thanks to the 6 of Hearts, earning a groan from the other three beings due to their bad hands. After gathering the cards and shuffling them, the blonde began handing out cards until they each had five cards.

"So it seems," Adolf commented, discarding and drawing four.

"Now, in a nutshell, there are alternate worlds that, believe it or not, exist. Why do I say this? Well, there are worlds for just about everything, but I cannot allow myself the luxury of going from dimension to dimension," Lady Death explains, discarding and drawing three.

"I assume that is where we step in," Issei said, also discarding and drawing three.

Charlotte said nothing and threw in two, drawing the same amount before revealing her hand, the highlight being a pair of Queens. Adolf smirked as he showed off a pair of Aces, making the others sigh as they showed their hands, Death's main asset being a pair of Sixes, and Issei having junk.

"Before we begin, I have a simple way of going through this: there will be four tiers involving these alternate dimensions: the gray ones are those that have yet to be defined, green for the safe ones and those we are allied with, yellow for the ones that may present a risk or are currently being negotiated with, and red for the ones that must not be visited under any circumstances, understood?" she said. Earning nods from the three of them, she then continued.

"We will each have our way of tracking which worlds have been visited and by who. Also, we will be able to see who is in what world. Without much left to say, the three of you are dismissed," she finished.

"But Mistress, I'm in a coma," Issei commented, as she spawned a portal for Charlotte, who walked through it after giving them a wave.

"Not anymore," the entity of Death said, smiling as she flicked his nose, enveloping in a black aura as he vanished.

* * *

 _ **Infirmary, Heaven**_

"Huh?" Issei asked, looking around as no one else was there, save for a Chinese man who was wearing a suit, a cane in his hands.

"Ah, I see you have awaken," the man said, getting up.

"W-who are you? How much time has passed?"

"Oh, just a friend of someone who wants to meet you soon. As for the date, it has been a little over a week," the stranger says, smiling as he extended his hand over to the Angel.

"Issei Hyoudou, this generation's White Dragon Emperor and Gabriel's Joker," Issei said, extending his hand.

"Martin Li, owner of the F.E.A.S.T. charity center," the now identified man said, sending a small jolt the angel did not feel. Quickly getting up and leaving the room, he made his way out of Heaven, but not before telling the doctors that Issei had awoken.

"Issei! I have so much to say to you!" Gabriel said, rushing in. However, she covered her mouth with her hands as both of his eyes were glowing red, a demonic smile on his face.

"Oh Gabby, you have screwed up on a major scale."

* * *

 **So yeah, that happened. As I said before, I apologize if the chapter was a bit lackluster, I am getting back into this. So, I did use Martin Li/Mister Negative from Marvel because of slight influences involving Spider-Man (PS4). His most notorious abilities are healing, mind control, his ability to switch between reversed and regular appearance, and charging melee weapons with his energy (pretty much black electricity).**

 **Also, there was a moment where he hired Eddie Brock after he was no longer tied to Venom. When he touched Brock (who was suffering from terminal cancer), the remnants of the Venom symbiote in Eddie's blood bonded with the white cells in his body, undoing any effects the deadly disease had on him. Upon entering contact with Venom once more, Anti-Venom is born. That aside, Anti-Venom healed a woman from her heroin addiction, undoing any and all effects the drug had on her body.**

 **Anyways, I apologize for going back to the 2k chapters, thanks for reading, and I hope I can see you all later.**


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